ES2369993T3 - LAUNDRY ITEM. - Google Patents

Abstract

A laundry item, consisting of: a. a water-insoluble non-woven substrate that has a non-uniform cross section; b. a solidified detergent composition on the substrate at least in one area and c. a solidified textile conditioner composition on the substrate at least in one area.

Description

Laundry item

Priority Request

This application claims the priority for provisional application US 60 / 792,284, deposited on April 14, 2006 and entitled "ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR CLEANING, SOFTENING, SURROUNDING AND REDUCING ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES IN A FABRIC AND METHOD FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME", which is incorporated herein

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an industrial article used to clean and condition fabrics. More specifically, the article consists of a water insoluble substrate coated with detergent compositions, fabric softeners and optionally for other tissue treatments, which functions as a single product for washing and conditioning fabrics when added to the washing machine and then transported along with Wet clothes to the dryer. The invention also relates to methods for manufacturing said articles.

Background of the invention

Laundry, whether performed by housewives in their homes of residence, or by institutional laundry facilities personnel, for example hospitals, hotels, prisons and the like, requires a first step of washing with a laundry detergent and a subsequent drying step in a dryer. Normally a detergent, for example a powder, liquid or unified dose detergent, for example a tablet, is added to the washing machine along with the dirty clothes and hot, warm or cold water for the washing step and then transferred the wet tissues to the dryer, in which the separate textile / antistatic softening agent is added, for example in the form of a dryer sheet (sheet). One way to provide not only the washing but also the conditioning of the fabrics with a single product is to have a laundry detergent with the fabric softener incorporated into the liquid or powder composition. An alternative procedure, which also dispenses with the addition of chemical materials to the dryer, is to add detergent and textile conditioning products to the washer separately, for example by taking advantage of the fact that some washing machines have a separate compartment for textile softener, of This product mode is on hold when the washing process is performed and added during the rinse cycle.

It is a fairly widespread desire to have the detergent and the conditioner in a single product and with it to be able to perform the washing better than with the detergent that incorporates a fabric softener or separately use the detergent and fabric softener in the washing machine, such as It has been described before. It is most desirable to have detergent and conditioning formulations in a substrate, which somehow physically resembles a fabric softener dryer sheet, in which the substrate is added to the washer and the detergent is released into the wash bath and in which the substrate is carried along with the wet tissues to the dryer, in which the textile conditioning composition is released and reaches the tissues due to the heat of the dryer. Until now, the prior art has only described laundry sheets that are sticky to the touch, difficult to manufacture, because sandwich layers are needed and are inefficient to clean and condition the tissues. What is required is the combination of support material (builder), detergent and fabric softener / antistatic in a single sheet, that is easy to manufacture, that is pleasant to handle and not sticky to the touch and that has a superior washing effect together with a superior and substantial contribution of softener, fragrance and antistatic during the drying cycle.

The so-called laundry items, which are added to the automatic washing machine and then carried to the dryer along with the wet tissues, in order to provide the effects of washing, textile softening and antistatic control in a single article, are already known by The prior art and are commercial products. For example, in US Patent 4,095,946, published June 20, 1978 (Jones ’946), owned by The Procter & Gamble Company, describes a laundry article, which provides the effects of both washing and textile conditioning and is used not only in washing machines but also in automatic dryers during laundry. The Jones' 946 patent discloses an article consisting essentially of a water insoluble substrate, provided with a detergent composition having a mixture of water soluble surfactant formed by sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Na-LAS), sodium alcohol ether sulfate ( Na-AES), silicate and phosphate or non-ionic alcohol-ethoxylate and magnesium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (Mg-LAS), together with a textile conditioning mixture containing a quaternary softener (surfactant) and a dispersing inhibitor in fatty alcohol. These articles release their detergent compositions in the washing water the washing machine, while the textile softening composition, which is somewhat insoluble in the washing bath, survives the washing conditions and, therefore, available to condition the tissues, when these wet tissues are dried in the dryer together with this article that has been carried along with said fabrics. Jones ’946 describes only examples that require layers of sandwich substrates to hide the sticky detergent composition. The detergent compositions of the Jones' 946 patent are aqueous liquids or suspensions, which are sprayed or spread in the form of a wet suspension on the substrates, then a sandwich is prepared with another layer of substrate, then stitched on the outer edge (if it is pulp / cotton) or thermally sealed if it is polypropylene and dried thoroughly to remove water and reduce the total weight of the article. The softener mixture is formed by joint melting of a quaternary softener and a fatty alcohol dispersion inhibitor and the melt is applied by dripping onto the outer face of the sandwich article, in which the mixture solidifies upon cooling. It is clear that this involves a multi-step process, which would not be feasible to manufacture a low-cost commercial product.

In addition, in US Patent 4,170,565, published October 9, 1979, owned by The Procter & Gamble Company (Flesher ’565) also describes an industrial article formed by a water insoluble substrate, impregnated with detergents and textile conditioners, which is claimed to be useful for a textile cleaning process. Flesher ’565 describes articles that have the same compositions as those described in the Jones‘ 946 patent, but, more importantly, describes in more detail the requirements for air permeability of the substrate. Flesher ’565 describes items made of molten and blown polypropylene sheets, whose air permeability is between 19 and 175 cubic feet per minute per square foot. The Flesher ’565 patent describes the same need to prepare layers and sew said layers so that the sticky detergent composition is blocked to the touch. It is interesting to note that these references, together with some other patents mentioned below, do not mention the need for substantial delivery of fragrance to the dryer nor do they outline ways to optimize the retention of fabric softener throughout the wash or how to maximize the delivery of the fabric softener retained in the substrate to the dryer. It is clear that the prior art does not describe the need to provide fragrance to the dryer, the prior art also does not indicate how to achieve superior delivery of fragrance and antistatic agent to the dryer from a laundry sheet that has gone through a cycle washing

State-of-the-art detergents, presented in powdered, solid, liquid or unified dose form (tablet, bag or sheet), continue to have additional problems. The most problematic is that the delivery of the fragrance to the tissues is limited by washing. The only practical method of obtaining highly flavored clothing is to use several dryer sheets very aromatized at the same time. Detergents that deliver fragrance to the wash bath do not deliver a fragrance that is solid or substantive enough to pass the rinse water and remain in the tissues that are transferred to the dryer. A significant portion of the fragrance contained in the detergent is not absorbed into the tissues and instead rinsed and discarded in the washing machine. Therefore, in order to achieve a high retention of the fragrance in the tissues, a second product is added, either during the rinsing cycle of the washing process (for example a highly perfumed liquid textile softener), either, which it is more preferred, by directly introducing it into the dryer in the form of a textile softener sheet (a dryer sheet).

A second limitation of these conventional detergent and softener products is that it is difficult for a detergent to deliver an antistatic benefit or a softening benefit due to incompatibility of quaternary ammonium compounds, the chemical required to achieve one of these benefits, and surfactants. anionics required in detergent compositions to achieve good cleaning. It has been claimed that a large number of newly launched products bring the benefits of “2 in 1” detergents (cleaning + anti-static / softening effect), but the level of conditioning provision achieved with these products has been so low , which consumers have not noticed. Finally, when detergents are applied to the substrates to make laundry detergent sheets, these sheets end up being considerably sticky. This is due to the fact that detergent formulations have to be very soluble in water to leave the substrate and dissolve in the wash bath and the types of ingredients in these formulations tend to be hydrates, which are initially sticky and / or hygroscopic, while the sheet quickly becomes sticky when exposed to air during storage.

Several attempts have been made to avoid the stickiness of an article of laundry detergent sheet. In addition to the Jones' 946 and Flesher '565 methods for manufacturing the previously described sandwich layers, another example is described in US Pat. No. 5,202,045, published April 13, 1993, owned by Lever Brothers, (Karpusiewicz' 045 ), which claims an "S-shaped detergent laminate". This substrate is folded on itself, whereby the folded sheets are literally adhered to the sticky detergent composition. In this way, a sandwich-type article is created, which isolates the user from the touch of the sticky detergent located between the layers, but does not require sewing of the outer edges of the two sheets. As an alternative, intense drying has been applied to improve the stickiness of a laundry detergent sheet, however, the hygroscopic materials will continue to hydrate during storage and the sheets that were initially dry will continue to show a tendency to become sticky over time.

Therefore, laundry items that are reasonably sized, non-sticky and effective in cleaning are required, as are laundry detergents currently marketed, but superior in antistatic and fabric softening effects and superior in delivering substantial fragrance. (solid) to the tissues in the dryer. An improved method is also required for the manufacture of such articles.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a laundry cleaning and conditioning article, a method of manufacturing it and a method of using it, which provides efficient cleaning in the washing machine and delivery of significant fragrance and softening / antistatic effects in the dryer, beyond Product capabilities and current methods. As described in detail below, the retention of the fabric softener throughout the washing cycle and its effective release in the dryer has been shown to depend more on the type of substrate than on the composition of the softener portion of the article. In addition, due to the multi-zone construction and the design of the article, the present invention provides unique benefits and flexibility of handling for the consumer.

In general, the present invention provides a laundry article consisting of a water insoluble substrate, on which a minimum of two compositions are applied by "zones." For example, a water insoluble substrate with a zone of fragrance and / or softening / antistatic composition, plus an area of detergent composition, arranged in areas or templates or geographical regions (called "zones") of the water insoluble substrate. The optional perforations practiced in the article allow the consumer to split the article along defined lines to adjust the product to the specific laundry requirements, to adjust the quantities and formulas used to a specific laundry load. The manufacturing method is preferably the application of simultaneous fusion materials, including not only the detergent composition and the softening / fragrance / antistatic composition but also the materials melted simultaneously on the substrate. Although the detergent mixtures of the present invention can be applied to the substrate in the form of liquids, suspensions or pastes, which are then dried, the preferred method of manufacturing non-sticky articles is to apply a melt (i.e., a thermosetting melt, which it has a minimum water content) that is filtered and absorbed between the fibers of the substrate, cooled and solidified in areas that have a waxy appearance. Finally, the usefulness of molten detergent compositions goes well beyond application to substrates, due to the fact that the molten detergent can be cast into molds and cooled by adopting geometric shapes or cooled in bulk, extruded and cut, to make those are single dose detergent presentation forms (also laundry articles of the present invention), which are similar in use to detergent tablets, but which are molded solids and not pressed powders.

In an exemplary embodiment of the article of the present invention, a simultaneous melting detergent composition, comprising anionic materials (eg sulphonates, sulfates and the like, etc.) and non-ionic materials (eg alcohol-ethoxylates) , amides, esters, polyether waxes and the like, etc.), together with support materials (builders) and chelants (eg sodium carbonate, borax and / or silicates, tetrasodium EDTA and the like, etc.) and various auxiliaries, molten and hot is applied on a non-woven textile substrate, in an area divided into geographical areas and a heated laundry conditioning composition, which comprises a molten quaternary surfactant with or without adjuvant, for example fatty alcohols and / or or fragrance, on a geographical area separated from the substrate, in order to form a multi-zone laundry item, which cleans and conditions the tissues when used successively in the washer a and the dryer.

Brief description of the figures

Several embodiments of the present invention containing at least two discrete areas of composition on a substrate are shown in Figures 1-8.

Various embodiments of the present invention are shown in Figures 9-19 containing at least two discrete areas of composition and a perforation through the article.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 20, which has a more decorative arrangement of at least 2 discrete areas of composition on a substrate.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 21, which has a more decorative arrangement of at least two areas of composition and a perforation so that the article can be broken into two smaller pieces.

Additional embodiments of the present invention are shown in Figures 22-23 with a more decorative arrangement of at least 2 discrete composition zones on a substrate.

Figure 24 shows an embodiment of the present invention with 2 discrete composition zones and a blank area, whereby the user can grab the article and optionally a substrate with 3 discrete composition zones.

In Figures 25-26 they are bar graphs showing the percentage (%) of lost fabric softener of an article of the present invention by washing and drying cycles for various nonwoven substrates.

A bar graph indicating the percentage (%) of lost fabric softener of an article of the present invention by washing and drying cycles for a concrete nonwoven substrate, which is left open or folded and stacked, is represented in Figure 27. with the flat side inside or with the flat side out.

Detailed description of the invention

The following description is of merely illustrative embodiments and it is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. On the contrary, the present description provides a convenient illustration of exemplary embodiments for the implementation of the invention. Several changes can be made to the embodiments described in function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims. In addition, although described herein in general terms of a laundry article formed by laundry detergent and textile conditioner compositions applied to a water insoluble substrate, other textile cleaning and treatment materials may also be included within the scope of the present invention, for example bleaches, disinfectants, deodorants, chemical stain removers, removers, water conditioners and the like, which are applied or otherwise adsorbed on the substrate, either as part of the previously mentioned compositions, whether applied in the form of zones separated from the substrate or from the treatments absorbed in the substrate. Also included within the spirit of the invention are all types of non-functional additives of the compositions to produce areas of exclusive color, textured or agglomerated those of detergent and softener compositions. In addition, any concrete physical form and size of the substrate is included within the present invention together with any specific decorative or functional arrangement of the areas containing the formula and the address and number of perforations in the article. Finally, any molded form of the detergent compositions described herein constitute a laundry article of the present invention, including laundry molded detergent forms, which act as single-dose laundry detergents. The laundry molded detergents, independent of the substrate, can be molded into small decorative molds (in processes similar to commercial candy production) or alternatively the hot melted detergent can be transported to a dam box and dripped onto a tape cooled conveyor, producing small balls that can be incorporated (occluded) into an alternative powder detergent. A process of detergents in the form of balls or lentils has been described in US Patent 4,931,202, property of Diversey Corp., which is incorporated herein in its entirety, which can be adapted to convert the detergent compositions of the present invention into balls or lentils (pellets).

That said, the present invention relates to an industrial article, which contains at least detergent and softener / antistatic compositions on a water insoluble substrate, for example a nonwoven fabric, for use in a laundry process, first in the washing machine and then together with the wet tissues in the rotary dryer. In this way, a single article can assist in the cleaning and conditioning of textiles and provide a substantial and substantive fragrance, softening effect and antistatic behavior to dry tissues. The present invention further relates to methods of manufacturing said laundry article.

More specifically, the present invention is an industrial article used for cleaning, softening effect, contribution of fragrance and reduction of static loads on the tissues in the successive steps of washing and drying the fabric, which contains a water insoluble substrate, which is divided into zones or regions containing detergent, conditioner and optionally other textile treatment compositions. The substrate and the fabric softener composition are chosen so that the retention of the area of the fabric softener composition on the substrate throughout the washing cycle is at least 80% and the release of the fabric softener in the dryer is by At least 70%. As described below, an unexpected result is that the release of the fabric softener composition in the dryer depends largely on the nature of the substrate. The most surprising thing is that, if the substrate is chosen wisely, the waxy textile softening composition on the substrate will not need any release aid or dispersant, for example a fatty alcohol, as described in the prior art, to facilitate the release of the substrate softener.

The substrate

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, a wide variety of materials can be used as a substrate in the present invention. For example, the substrate can be a natural paper-like material based on pulp or cotton, an entirely synthetic material (for example polypropylene, polyester substrates or similar melt-blown synthetic polymer fibers (melt-blow), weft-free spun) -laid), "airlaid" or carded / glued) or combinations of natural and synthetic materials (for example, wet spun pulp on non-woven fabric). For example, any of the substrates used in personal cleaning products and hard surfaces of the type "wet towels" (wet-wipes), dryer sheets or personal hygiene products currently on the market can be useful as substrates for the articles of The present invention. Materials used in the liquid and air filtration industries can also be used as a substrate. As will be discussed below, the choice of substrate is a critical decision for the performance of the product. The selection of the substrate affects a large number of important variables of the provision of a laundry item. For example, the type of substrate affects the amount (in grams, for example) of detergent and fabric softener that can be incorporated into the substrate, the percentage (%) of detergent that is released into the dryer, the percentage (%) of fabric softener retained in the substrate during the washing machine, the percentage (%) of softener released in the dryer and finally the amount of lint (lint) observed in the tissues after the successive cycles of washing and drying.

Appropriate substrate sheets can be obtained from any of the numerous water-insoluble non-woven fabrics (fabrics). The term "sheet" is used here quite freely to indicate a preferred form of an individual article of the present invention, that is, a flat sheet, for example square or rectangular, having a length and width much greater than the Thick and is an individual laundry item. Therefore, the term "sheet" is used as a description of a nonwoven section that can be used for an individual article of the present invention. However, the use of the term "sheet" should not be taken as a limit to the process of manufacturing a succession of a first cut of the substrate into small pieces ("sheets") and subsequent application of laundry compositions to these individual sheets. smaller. The process can also be done in reverse and there may be manufacturing facilities that apply the compositions to large substrate coils and then cut these coated lengths to obtain individual sheets or pieces.

Nonwovens (fabrics) and their multiple uses are already known to textile experts. Nonwovens have been described extensively in “Nonwoven Fabrics: Raw Materials, Manufacture, Applications, Characteristics, Testing Processes”, coordinators: W. Albrecht, H. Fuchs and W. Kittelmann, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KgaA, Weinheim, 2003. These fabrics can be manufactured form a continuous filament fabric and / or cut (classified) fibers and optionally joining the fibers by the fiber-to-fiber contact points to obtain the fabrics of the required properties. The term "glued nonwoven fabric" is used to indicate nonwoven fabrics in which the largest portion of fiber with fiber is achieved by thermal fusion of adjacent fibers or by adhesive bonding, which is achieved with the incorporation of adhesives to the fabric to "glue" the fibers to each other or by other types of bonding, for example that which is achieved with the use of liquid or gaseous bonding agents (usually with heat input), to make the fibers cohesive. The chemical bonding can be done with the use of adhesive or latex powders, dispersed between the fibers of the tissue, which is then activated with heat, ultraviolet or infrared radiation or by other appropriate methods of activation. Thermally and chemically bonded carded fabrics have been described in US Pat. No. 6,689,242, owned by First Quality Nonwovens, Inc., the content of which is incorporated herein. Thermally and / or chemically bonded fabrics can be used as substrates in the present invention.

Nonwovens may contain fibers known as "bicomponent fibers", for example "sheath / core bicomponent fibers", which are fibers that have an outer sheath zone or layer having a melting point lower than the inner core zone, which allows the efficient and fusion controlled thermal bonding precisely of the outer layer of each fiber. That is, the outer surface of a bicomponent fiber can be manufactured to have a lower melting point than the fiber core. For example, bicomponent binder fibers, in which a component has adhesive properties under bonding conditions, are being widely used to provide integrity to fiber fabrics that are used as absorbent in personal care products or filtration products. . In addition, multi-component fibers are also known and incorporated into industrial nonwovens. Examples of such multi-component fibers have been described in US Pat. Nos. 5,382,400 and 5,866,488, which are incorporated herein in their entirety.

During the bonding of the fibers, the fabric can simultaneously undergo mechanical compression to obtain the desired bond, weights and thicknesses, in a process known as "thermal compression bonding." Thermal compression bonding can be carried out using devices, such as a hot stamping roller and a flat heat calendering roller and incorporating a method, in which a heat treatment method is used, for example of the type of blow circulation hot, of the type of hot through air, of type of infrared heater or of type of vertical hot blow, to effect thermal bonding. Mechanical compression can be applied to adjust the height or thickness of fabrics of similar base weights. Normally, the increase in the base weight or mass per square area translates into the increase in thickness, while the increase in bonding and compression results in a decrease in height. Nonwovens with "laterality" (sidedness) are preferred for use in the articles of this invention. The laterality indicates a nonwoven that has a difference in density and / or height on each side. These preferred nonwovens with laterality can also be described by looking at the internal cross section along the nonwoven. For example, preferred nonwovens for use in this invention have at least one "non-uniform cross section." That is, if the preferred nonwoven is cut laterally, the exposed end will appear to be homogeneous or, in other words, have a gradient of fiber densities from one side to the opposite side of the nonwoven. Single or multiple mechanical compression passes can be applied during bonding to produce nonwoven fabrics that have laterality, for example by heating differences for thermal bonding on each side, in addition to using differences in the diameters of the fibers on each side and / or by bonding thermal compression of a fabric that has been carded with different groups of fiber types on each side. As described below, the laterality can also be achieved by employing different thicknesses of fibers that are brought together to the layers, which closely resembles a lamination process and allowing the thermal / powder adhesive to bond thermally or powder / thermally perform the densest bonding of the finest fibers woven more closely and the lightest and highest bonding of the thickest fibers, less densely woven.

Laminate is a term used here to indicate fiber fabrics that are carded separately and joined to form an individual nonwoven. The term laminate should not be taken in the sense of gluing the sheets of the material to be glued, as is the case with bonding or joining other types of polyurethane wash layers onto a cellulose sponge. Although nonwovens can be constructed by rolling two or more fiber-carded fabrics, the end result is a thicker nonwoven, in which it is difficult to distinguish the layers. Depending on the way in which the multilayer nonwoven is finished (for example, the degree of thermal or chemical-thermal bonding of the fibers), the final resulting laminated nonwoven may have the appearance of a single layer of fibers. But when looking through said preferred nonwoven, the density gradient will become visible, even without discerning a discrete transition between the original carded tissues.

Non-woven fabrics are formed by many processes, for example: "melt-blown", "spun-bonded" or "spunlaid", "toeopened", "wet-laid", "air-laid", carded and entangled with water high pressure (high pressure hydro-entangled). The basis weight of non-woven fabrics is usually expressed in ounces of material per square yard (osy) or grams per square meter (gsm) and the diameter of the fiber is usually expressed in microns or, in the case of cut or graded fibers ( staple fibers), in "denier". "Denier" is defined as grams per 9000 meters of fiber length. In the case of a circular cross-sectional fiber, the denier can be calculated as the diameter of the fiber in square microns, multiplied by the density in grams / cc, multiplied by 0.00707. A low denier indicates thinner fibers and a higher denier indicates thicker or heavier fibers. The "average denier of the fibers" is the sum of the deniers of each fiber, divided by the number of fibers. The denier distribution or the "average fiber denier" indicates a distribution of fiber diameters around a specific value, for example "2 denier" indicates an average fiber diameter of 2 denier. As used herein, the term "bulk density" indicates the weight of a material per unit volume and is usually expressed in units of mass per unit volume (eg, grams per cubic centimeter). Non-woven fabrics can be produced with fibers that have an individual or denier average diameter value or two or more fibers of average diameter value can be used together. For example, two or more distributions of fiber deniers can be combined into separate fiber fabrics (for example 2-1 / 2 denier and 4 denier fibers that are carded together). Then, the separated fiber fabrics can be laminated together. The end result may be an individual non-woven fabric having a non-uniform cross section, formed by various different average diameters of fibers. For example, an individual non-woven fabric may contain 2-1 / 2, 4, 6 and 15 denier fibers, which means that it has been constructed with four separate fibers of different deniers (four average diameters of different fibers).

Spun-bonded fibers indicate fibers formed by extrusion of molten thermoplastic material, for example filaments, described for example in US Pat. Nos. 4,340,563; 3,692,618 to Dorschner; 3,802,817 to Matsuki; 3,338,992 and 3,341,394 to Kinney; 3,502,763 Hartman; 3,542,615 of Dobo; and 5,382,400 of Pike, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference. Spun-bond fibers are generally not sticky when deposited on a collecting surface. The spun-bond fibers are generally continuous and have an average diameter between 7 microns and 60 microns and more frequently between 15 and 25 microns.

"Melt-blown" fibers indicate fibers formed by extrusion of molten thermoplastic material through a large number of fine, normally circular nozzle capillaries, which exit in the form of threads or filaments within convergent streams of high speed, normally hot , gas / air, which attenuate the reduction of the diameters of the molten thermoplastic filaments, which can end up being a microfiber diameter. The melted and blown fibers (melt-blown) are then transported with a high velocity gas stream and deposited on a collecting surface to form a randomly dispersed melt-blown fiber web. This process has been described, for example in US Pat. No. 3,849,241. Melt-blown fibers are microfibers that can be continuous or discontinuous and usually have an average diameter of less than 10 microns and are usually sticky when deposited on a collecting surface.

The "air-laid" fibers are formed with a well-known process of producing a layer of non-woven fibers. In the “air-laid” process, small fiber bundles are separated, which normally have lengths of 3 to 52 millimeters (mm), are dragged in a stream of air and deposited on a forming screen, usually with vacuum application. The randomly deposited fibers are joined together using for example hot air to activate a binder component or a latex-type adhesive. The air-laying process has been described, for example, in US Pat. Nos. 4,640,810 of Laursen and 5,885,516 of Christensen.

Preferred non-woven fabrics for use as a substrate of the articles of the present invention are thermally bonded or thermally bonded and thermally bonded nonwovens, for example those supplied by the company HDK Industries, Inc. a dry process that begins with the carding of fibers classified to form a fiber cloth, which is then treated with thermal plastic adhesive powder or with latex materials and is subjected to a series of furnaces or calendering rollers to produce non tissues. In addition, heat can be applied to increase the volume (loft) of a nonwoven after manufacturing, as a way of producing nonwovens with laterality (sidedness). The preferred range of weights of the non-woven fabrics glued for use in the present invention is between 2.0 os and 6.0 osy, with thicknesses between 25 mils and 150 mils (1 mil = 1 thousandth of an inch ). The preferred fibers for the non-woven fabrics of use in the present invention can be single, bicomponent (eg sheath / core) or multicomponent, manufactured with polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, rayon, polyamide (Nylon), acrylic, methacrylic, of poly (ethylene terephthalate), poly (butylene terephthalate), polyamides and mixtures of these types of polymers. Preferred deniers for the substrates used in the present invention are between 0.9 and 15. Nonwovens formed by a mixture of at least polyester fibers of different mean diameters, which are preferred, are preferred for use in the present invention. they are carded and then thermally bonded (for example by thermal compression bonding) or glued with powder / thermally. The most preferred substrates for use in the present invention are 100% non-woven polyester fabrics, with weights between 2.0 and 6.0 os and having a thickness between 50-150 mils. Especially preferred substrates are layered non-woven polyesters, which are carded and thermally bonded or are carded and glued with powder / thermal, having a weight between 20 and 90 g / yd and a thickness between 75 and 150 mils , which in other cases also contain a flat side of carded fibers that have at least an average denier between 1.5 and 6 and a raised height side (loft) formed by carded fibers that have at least one average denier comprised between 3 and 15. These multidenier nonwoven fabrics, arranged in layers, provided with "laterality" (sidedness), can be produced by a single pass of thermal compression bonding or by two or more passes. These substrates necessarily have a "non-uniform cross section", at least in some area along the nonwoven. For example, the nonwoven can be uniform along its length and width (for example by looking at the surfaces of the front (upper face) or the back of the substrate), although it does not have a uniform thickness in its cross-section (i.e., when looking at the edge of the substrate as it has been manufactured or after cutting it to see its cross section). In addition, the nonwovens can be arranged in layers and so that the top layer does not completely cover the bottom layer and a symmetrical fabric is produced, which in one part of its width is a single density fabric and in the adjacent part of its width is a fabric with a gradient of fiber densities. These nonwovens have a non-uniform cross section in some area of the fabric. For example, to see the non-uniform cross section, the fabric would have to be cut through the area, in which there are two layers and a density gradient along the thickness of the fabric) and not by cutting through a single layer portion, in which there is a uniform density of fibers along the thickness of the substrate. Any of these fibers used in the substrates can be single component polymer, bicomponent (sheath / core) or multicomponent, in order to achieve the desired level of bonding of the fibers in the thermal bonding operation. Non-woven fabrics especially preferred for use in the articles of the present invention, manufactured with these properties (widths of up to 125 inches, base weights of 0.3 os and 3.5 osy, thicknesses of 3 mils to 150 mils and a "Non-uniform cross-section," that is, a gradient of fiber densities along the thickness of the nonwovens), are those provided by the company HDK Industries, Inc. Substrates especially preferred nonwoven fabrics, arranged in layers, that are carded and thermally bonded, or carded and glued with powder / thermally, that have a weight of 20 to 90 g / yd and a thickness of 75 to 150 mils, and that also have not only a flat side of fibers carded with at least two average deniers of 1.5 to 6, but also a side of increased height (loft) of carded fibers with at least two average deniers between 3 and 15. Substrates especially preferred for use in Articles of the present invention are fabrics s In knitting of layered polyester, carded and thermally bonded or carded and bonded with thermal / powder, having a weight between 20 and 90 g / yd and a thickness of 75 to 150 mils, which have not only a flat side derived from fibers cards of two deniers (which combine deniers 2-1 / 2 and 4), but also an inclined (lofted) side derived from carded fibers that have at least two deniers (which combine deniers 4 and 6 or combine deniers 4, 6 and 15). Other types of non-woven fabrics, made of interconnected networks of thermoplastic polymer fibers and which are formed by a homogeneous mixture of staple fibers of high denier and graded fibers of low denier have been described in US Patent 6,087,551 of Pereira , which is incorporated herein.

Examples of non-woven fabrics that can be used as water insoluble substrates of the articles of the present invention may include, but are not limited to: Ahlstrom Needlepunch (punching), Ahlstrom 11B04.3110, Ahlstrom VPM7.1, Sandler Sawaloom® 6000, Sandler Sawaloom® 6600, Sandler Sawaloom® 6700, Sandler Sawaloom® 6351, Sandler Sawaloom® 2621 and Sandler Sawatex® 2611 (spinning and lace products, spunlace), all of them from Sandler AG; Texel® 04531 needlepunch (punching) and Texel® 05232 needlepunch from Tenotex; and the thermally bonded PET HDK No. 225 and the non-woven fabrics thermally bonded HDK No. 590, 401, 330, No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 of the company HDK industries, Inc. The most preferred substrates include polyester nonwoven tiles formed by at least two denier fibers (i.e., having a non-uniform cross-section or a gradient of fiber densities along the thickness of the nonwoven), which are processed or layered by a method that produces a denser flatter side and a lighter side of increasing height and these include but are not limited to the following materials, supplied by the company HDK Industries, Inc .; a non-woven fabric with a height / height of 2-1 / 2 and 4 denier fibers and 4 and 6 denier polyester fibers and 2-pass polyester two-component fibers, arranged in layers, 4.2 os and a thickness approx. of 100 mils; a non-woven fabric flat / of increasing height formed by fibers of 2-1 / 2 and 4 denier and polyester fibers of 4 and 6 denier and bicomponent polyester, 1passed, carded, arranged in layers, 4.2 osy and thickness approx. of 137 mils; a non-woven fabric flat / of increasing height formed by fibers of 2-1 / 2 and 4 denier and polyester fibers of 4 and 6 denier and two-component polyester, 1-pass, carded, layered, 3.5 osy and a thickness approx. of 107 mils; and a flat non-woven fabric of increasing height consisting of 2-1 / 2 and 4 denier fibers and 4, 6 and 15 denier polyester fibers and two-component polyester, 1-pass, carded, layered, 4.2 osy and thickness approx. of 128 mils. Less preferred are all materials of increasing height (lofty) formed only by a single layer of fiber cloth, for example formed by 4 and 6 denier polyester and bicomponent polyester fibers, 1 pass, non-sided (non-sided), 4.2 osy and a thickness approx. of 128 mils. Especially preferred are non-woven polyester layers, which have not only a flat side, but also a side of increasing height, produced by a one-step or two-step thermal compression process and / or powder bonding stages. thermal and constructed with polyester fibers of at least two average deniers and / or two-component polyester fibers having fibers of a denier between 1.5 and 6 denier on the flat side and fibers of a denier of 3 to 15 in the side of increasing height. These non-woven fabrics especially preferred as substrates are substrates in the form of layers. The fibers can be layered, with the end result of a gradient of fiber densities and a gradient of fiber deniers. These preferred non-woven fabrics have a non-uniform cross-section and no visible layers, as occurs for example in toilet sponges formed by cellulose layers and cleaning layers. As described below in greater detail, the combination of the flat sides and of increasing height in the substrate greatly facilitates the loading and subsequent release of the softener composition to and from the substrate. Without pretending to assume any theory, it seems that the fabric softener leaves the flat side of the nonwoven substrate while it is in the hot dryer, perhaps by draining along a gradient of fiber deniers, despite having been applied and solidified on the side increasing height of the non-woven fabric. The softener delivery through the flat side is shown by folding the substrates in half, stacking them with the flat side hidden inside or exposing them to the outside and subjecting them to washing and drying cycles.

The dimensions of the cut sheet for the substrate of the article of the present invention should be suitable for easy handling, for example between 4 inches x 4 inches and 8 inches x 8 inches, although sheets of other dimensions may also be useful, if They are organized in convenient packaging for the consumer. Obviously, the sheet does not have to be square or have a concrete geometric shape and within the present invention any shape can work, for example rectangular, polyhedral, rhomboidal, round, oval, heart-shaped or any other decorative motif, even a way that identifies a particular brand (for example the shape of a letter or a word or a trademark). The substrate for use in the present invention can be colored and have any color (intense colors for example) or it can be substantially white and can be textured on hot rollers that engrave drawings or motifs. The sheets can be wound or lined or compacted in any other way in order to fit unique packaging designs or can simply be stacked as rigid cards in a cardboard box suitable for trade. In addition, the aesthetic presentation of the sheet should be pleasant for the consumer, so that he wants to use it together for his laundry tasks. Therefore, each of the separate areas of composition should be individually recognizable by the consumer, for example by color, transparency, brightness, texture, fragrance or any combination of these attributes. For example, a sheet of the present invention may have a dark blue zone for the detergent, an opaque pink zone for the softener / antistatic agent (knowing that these are traditional colors that the consumer easily recognizes as detergent and softener colors textile) or perhaps a region of detergent that has colored particles occluded or incorporated into this area. A wider and flatter sheet treated with a substantial amount of molten / solidified detergent and softener compositions may appear fragile and somewhat rigid and these flatter and stiffer sheets can be more conveniently packed in piles and be more suitable for perforations that allow to the consumer to break them to fit the needs of said consumer. Smaller and thinner items can provide more comfortable handling in cases where drilling is not used. Depending on the increasing height (loft) of the substrate and its absorption capacity, the article of the present invention can house a considerable load of detergent and softening composition, even when the article has an aspect of relatively small dimensions.

The water-insoluble substrate of the laundry article of the present invention can be impregnated with detergent and conditioner compositions by any appropriate process step, for example a simple spray coating of the nonwoven substrate with a molten hot mixture or an aqueous solution to submerge the non-woven substrate in various mixtures. For example, molten compositions can be sprayed with hot nozzle guns in the same way that heavy paints, glues and coatings and the like are sprayed on large surfaces in many other industries. The impregnation of each composition in the substrate can be carried out at the same time (in a simultaneous process with feeders or parallel sprayers, for example) or in separate operations, which can be successive operations of the same process or separate combinations of different processes. The impregnations can be applied to one side of the substrate or one or more impregnations (for example the detergent formulation) can be applied to one side and the other composition (for example the conditioner / fragrance / antistatic agent formulation) can be applied to the opposite side of the substratum. This is an especially important option when using a substrate that has uneven sides. An ideal impregnation process is for example a coating process from a slot

or an engraving coating process (gravure). In the coating process from a groove, the coating liquid is forced to press through a thin groove, which has a certain width and length. The applied flow rate (gm / second) is controlled not only by the pressure applied, but also by the size of the groove. The substrate (eg, non-woven or otherwise) is coated by being transported in front of the groove (for example with a speed of 1-100 feet per minute). Depending on the dimensions of the installation, the representative slot nozzles for the coating include the Ultracoat, Acuflow, Ultra flow products of

Extrusion Dies Industries LLC (EDI), Wayne Yellow Jacket® Flexible Lip Flat Dies flexible lip flat nozzles or Liberty Die Coating Equipment. The form of application of any one of the compositions to the substrate can be any, from a liquid of low to high viscosity, a suspension or a paste, to molten materials which when cooled solidify in the form of a waxy-like coating. It is simpler and preferable to apply not only the detergent, but also the softener compositions in the form of molten mixtures, even when the detergent compositions can be applied in the form of aqueous solutions or suspensions in a spraying or immersion operation with the subsequent step of drying to remove excess water from the substrate. In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the softener composition is applied melted and absorbed on the recent height side of a two-sided polyester nonwoven (flat / increasing height), such as those which have been previously described. It is assumed that the scope of the present invention includes the application of any of the compositions described by steps on the substrate. For example, in the application of a detergent composition to the substrate one or more ingredients can be excluded from the composition and applied separately on the nonwoven (for example, to precondition the substrate). The remaining ingredients that are part of the detergent composition are then applied to the substrate. The separation of a "third zone" from the substrate is also within the scope of the present invention. For example, it may be desirable to have a detergent zone, a textile softener zone and a separate third zone of textile treatment, for example a water-soluble support material (builder) or an aqueous conditioner, an additional surfactant or an activator of detergent (detergent booster) or a separate water-soluble textile softener for the wash cycle or a separate fragrance activation zone for the washer or dryer, and so on. The invention is not limited only to the detergent zone and the textile conditioner zone. There are special products to meet the separate demands of the market, which can be produced to have any number of compositions or ingredients spread over areas to meet the needs of the market or consumers.

Various ways of arranging the areas of the detergent composition, softener and additional agents on the substrate are shown in the figures. For example, various arrangements of separate composition zones 2 and 3 on the substrate for producing the laundry article 1 are depicted in Figures 1-8. Although multiple zones are represented in Figures 1-8, it is assumed that zones need not be limited only to the detergent and fabric softener zones. The areas represented in these figures may be combinations of detergent compositions, fabric softener or other textile treatments. Figures 20 and 22-23 show more decorative arrangements of the areas of composition on the substrate to produce the laundry articles, which present a more interesting aspect for the consumer. As previously mentioned, the articles can be cut in recognizable forms, for example in the form of the letters that make up a commercial name or in the form of a trademark, etc. In figure 22 a circular article is represented and in figure 23 an octagonal article is represented, but the number of embodiments of geometric shapes and sizes and the number of textile treatment areas is virtually infinite and these figures have a purely purpose Illustrative of a few examples, which in number can be infinite.

The laundry article, with its multiple compositions arranged in areas of the substrate, can have one or more perforations that allow it to be divided into two or more equal or unequal parts. The perforation (s) may be made along the axis of symmetry (as shown in perforation 4 of Figures 10, 14, 15 and 15), so that two separate sheets with multizonal textile treatment compositions or compositions of monozonal textile treatment. As shown in Figures 9, 12 and 13, the perforation 4 can run along the article so that said article can be broken along the perforation, providing pieces of different compositions (for example, half with composition detergent only and a second half with both detergent and fabric softener compositions, etc.). Alternatively, one or more perforations 4 can cover all areas of textile treatment composition, so that by breaking the total sheet into smaller portions along the perforations simply smaller sheets having the same compositions are obtained, but in smaller quantities (as indicated in figures 17, 18, 19 and 21). The perforations may already be in the substrate before applying the coating or may be performed after applying the compositions to the substrates. Or, the items can be cut individually from large nonwoven coils and perforated at the same time. The perforations can intensify the interaction with the product allowing the consumer to tear the decorative elements along the perforations, for example a laundry article with letters that form a commercial name or allow the consumer to compose several letters of the name. The sections taken from the product can be used for other tasks in the house. For example, if section 3 is removed, as shown in Figure 9, which has only detergent composition, it can be introduced into the mop bucket for use as a hard surface cleaning product in the house. The softener / fragrance sections can be stored and used in separate dryer cycles, at a later time, in the same way as the conventional "dryer sheet" or even used in an air freshener, for example placed under the car seat or embedded in a record of heating / cooling of the house. Perforated articles are shown in Figures 9-19 and 21 precisely to illustrate the enormous possibilities, but not to imply any limitation. The articles of the present invention may have unlimited provisions of detergent, textile conditioner and other textile treatment areas and unlimited arrangements of one or more perforations.

The embodiments of the present invention may include, but are not limited to: sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which at least one zone is processed using a coating equipment from a groove to High temperature; sheet type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which at least one zone is completely soluble in water, while the second zone is conserved (is stable) at more than 80% after going through a cycle standard wash; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which one zone has a great tendency to humidify / absorb water, while the second zone has a lower tendency to humidify / absorb water; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which one zone has a melting point> 58 ° C; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which one zone can be applied by coating from a groove; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, in which both zones have been significantly absorbed in the substrate material, leaving only an exposed surface area of lesser extent; sheet-type articles containing at least two areas of composition, which have a small physical contraction during the application of washing and drying and which release the active ingredients not only in the washing steps, but also in those drying during the casting ; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which one area geographically covers 2 to 30% of the total surface of the article, while the second zone covers 70 to 98% of the total surface of the article; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which at least one zone has a non-sticky touch when touched with the hands; sheet-type articles containing at least two zones of composition, of which one zone is present at a level of 0.5 to 10 g, while the second zone is present at a level of 5 to 25 g in the substrate ; industrial sheet-type laundry articles that deliver substantial and high levels of fabric softener, fragrance and antistatic agent in the dryer, even after the item has gone through a wash cycle to deliver the detergent; laundry-type articles manufactured by application of hot, molten and almost anhydrous detergent / builder and textile quaternary ammonium / fatty alcohol fabric softeners in separate areas of a substrate.

Detergent and conditioner compositions for substrate application

The detergent composition applied to the substrate may contain anionic, non-ionic ingredients, builder support materials, chelants and adjuvants and is preferably a combined melt of mostly anhydrous waxy ingredients (normally solid materials or waxes at room temperature) or a suspension or paste of low water content. The detergent composition, even if it is a combined melt of waxy ingredients, may preferably contain insoluble particles agglomerated or incorporated into the melt, either for reasons of efficacy, or for aesthetic reasons.

The anionic material for use in the detergent composition is preferably anionic surfactants, for example sulphonate type and sulfate type. Preferred surfactants of the sulphonate type are the (C9-13 alkyl) benzenesulfonates or olefinsulfonates, that is, mixtures of alkennesulfonates and hydroxyalkanesulfonates and also disulfonates, obtained for example from C12-18 monoolefins, which have a terminal or internal double bond, by sulfonation with gaseous sulfur trioxide and subsequent hydrolysis of the sulfonation products in alkaline or acidic medium. Anionic surfactants that can be used in the compositions of the present invention include alkyl benzenesulfonate salts. Suitable alkylbenzenesulfonates include the sodium, potassium, ammonium, (lower alkyl) -ammonium and (lower alkanol) -ammonium salts of straight or branched chain alkylbenzenesulfonic acids. Alkylbenzenesulfonic acids useful as prior synthesis products for these surfactants include decylbenzenesulfonic acid, undecylbenzenesulfonic acid, dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, tridecylbenzenesulfonic acid, tetrapropylenebenzenesulfonic acid and mixtures thereof. Preferred sulfonic acids, which function as prior synthesis products of the alkylbenzenesulfonates useful for the present compositions, are those whose alkyl chain is linear and have an average length of 8 to 16 carbon atoms (C8-C16). Examples of alkylbenzenesulfonic acids, which are commercial products, useful for the present invention include Calsoft® LAS-99, Calsoft®LPS-99 or Calsoft®TSA-99, supplied by the Pilot Chemical Company. Especially preferred for use in the present invention is sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, supplied as sodium salt of sulfonic acid, for example Calsoft® F-90, Calsoft® P-85, Calsoft® L-60, Calsoft® L-50 or Calsoft ® L-40. Especially preferred is sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate in flakes, almost anhydrous, for example Calsoft® F-90. Ammonium salts, (lower alkyl) -ammonium salts and (lower alkanol) -ammonium salts of acids (alkyl) can also be used in the present invention

linear) benzenesulfonic, for example triethanolammonium (linear alkyl) benzenesulfonate, including Calsoft® T60 marketed by Pilot Chemical Company. The preferred level of sulphonate surfactant in the present invention is between 1.0% and 50%. Especially preferred is the use of 91% sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate in flakes, in an amount between 3% and 40%.

Also with respect to the anionic surfactants useful for the detergent composition applied to the substrate are preferred alkylene ether sulfates, also known as alcohol sulfate sulfates. The alcoholetersulfates are sulfuric acid monoesters of straight or branched chain alcohol ethoxylates and have the general formula R (CH2CH2O) x-SO3M, wherein R- (CH2CH2O) x preferably contains an ethoxylated C7-C21 alcohol containing 0.5 to 9 moles of ethylene oxide (x = 0.5 to 9 EO), for example C12-C18 alcohols containing 0.5 to 9 EO and in which M is an alkali metal counterion or ammonium, alkylammonium or alkanolammonium. Preferred alkylene ether sulfates for use in an embodiment of the present invention are the ether sulfates of C8-C18 alcohols with an ethoxylation degree between 0.5 and 9 ethylene oxide moieties and (C12C15 alcohol) ether sulfates with a degree of ethoxylation between 4 and 9 ethylene oxide moieties, with 7 ethylene oxide moieties being especially preferred. It is assumed that, as far as alkylene ether sulfates are concerned, these substances are already salts (hence "sulfonate") and sodium alkylene ether sulfates (also called NaAES) are especially preferred and very affordable in the market. Alkylether sulfates that are commercial products include alcoholether sulfates

CALFOAM® from Pilot Chemical, EMAL®, LEVENOL® and LATERAL® are products of Kao Corporation and POLYSTEP® products are from Stepan, however, most of them have a low EO content (e.g. an average of 3-4 EO). Alternatively, alkylene ether sulfates that can be used in the present invention can be obtained by sulfonation of alcohol ethoxylates (i.e. non-ionic surfactants), in the case where commercial alkylene ether sulfate products having chain length and content are not readily found of desired EO, and instead the non-ionic alcohol-ethoxylate starting materials may be found. For example, sodium lauryl ether sulfate ("sodium laureth sulfate", which has about 3 ethylene oxide residues) is a very affordable commercial product and very common in shampoos and detergents, however, it does not have the preferred ethoxylation level for use in present invention Accordingly, it may be more practical to sulphonate a non-ionic surfactant that is a commercial product, for example Neodol® 25-7 primary alcohol ethoxylate (a

C12-C15 non-ionic surfactant with 7 Shell EO) to obtain C12-C15 alkylether sulfate with 7 EO, to look for a commercial product that matches this last product. The preferred level of C12-C18 alkylene ether sulfate with 0.5-9 EO in the present invention is between 1% and 50%. The especially preferred level is between 3% and 40%.

Other anionic surfactants that can be used in the detergent composition include alkyl sulfates, also known as alcohol sulfates. These surfactants have the general formula RO-SO3Na, in which R means an alkyl moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and these materials can also be referred to as sulfuric acid monoesters of C10-C18 alcohols, examples of which are sodium decyl sulfate, palmityl -sodium alkyl sulfate, sodium myristyl alkyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium tallow alkyl sulfate, sodium coco alkylsulfate and mixtures of these surfactants or C10-C20 oxoalcohols and those secondary alcohol monoesters having this chain length. Also useful are alkyl (en) ilsulfates of said chain length containing a synthetic straight-chain alkyl moiety, obtained from a petrochemical source, these sulfates possess degradation properties similar to those of the corresponding compounds based on raw materials fat chemicals From the point of view of detergents, (C12-C16 alkyl) sulfates, (C12C15 alkyl) sulfates and (C14-C15 alkyl) sulfates are preferred. Furthermore, 2,3-alkyl sulfates are suitable anionic surfactants, which can be obtained, for example, in the form of commercial products from the Shell Oil Company under the name

commercial of DAN®. 97% sodium 97% sodium lauryl sulfate powder from Stepan Company, which is supplied under the trade name of Polystep® B-3, is especially preferred for use. The preferred level of alcohol sulfate in the present invention is between 1% and 50%. It is particularly preferred between 3% and 40%.

Fat soaps may also be incorporated into the detergent composition as an anionic detergent component. The term "fatty soap" is used herein to indicate fatty acid salts. For example, the fatty soaps that can be used here have the general formula R-CO2M, in which R means an alkyl or alkenyl moiety, linear or branched, having between 8 and 24 carbons and M means an alkali metal cation, by example of sodium or potassium or ammonium or alkyl- or dialkyl- or trialkylammonium or alkanolammonium. The fatty acid soap, which is a desirable component that has an antifoam effect in the washing machine (and is especially advantageous for side or horizontal load drum washing machines), is preferably formed by soaps with a high fatty acid content. The fatty acids that may be the source of fatty soaps can be obtained from natural fats and oils, for example those from animal fats and tallows and / or from vegetable and seed oils, for example tallow, hydrogenated tallow, whale oil, fish oil, tallow, lard, coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, olive oil, peanut oil, corn oil, corn oil sesame, rice bran oil, cottonseed oil, babassu oil (Brazilian palm), soybean oil, castor oil and mixtures thereof. Fatty acids can be synthetically manufactured, for example by oxidation of petroleum or by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide by the Fischer-Tropsch process. The fatty acids of special use in the present invention are linear or branched and contain from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably from 10 to 20 carbon atoms and with special preference from 14 to 18 carbon atoms. Preferred fatty acids for use in the present invention are hydrogenated tallow or tallow fatty acids and their preferred salts (soaps) are alkali metal salts, for example sodium and potassium or mixtures thereof. Other useful soaps are the ammonium and alkanol ammonium salts of fatty acids. The fatty acids that can be incorporated into the present compositions will preferably be chosen so that they have a desired detergent power and an effective antifoam effect. Obviously, for those compositions, in which foaming is desired, the soap content will be omitted or reduced or a lower fatty acid soap, eg sodium laurate, may be used instead, but this is not the preferred strategy for the compositions of the present invention, in which foam suppression is desired. The preferred level of fatty soap in the present invention is between 1% and 50%. The especially preferred level is between 3% and 40%.

Additional anionic materials, which may be incorporated into the detergent composition, include salts of alkylsulfosuccinic acids, which are also preferred as sulfosuccinates or sulfosuccinic esters and which constitute monoesters and / or diesters of sulfosuccinic acid with alcohols, preferably with fatty alcohols and in Special with ethoxylated fatty alcohols. Preferred sulfosuccinates contain C818 fatty alcohol moieties or mixtures thereof. Especially preferred sulfosuccinates contain a fatty alcohol moiety derived from ethoxylated fatty alcohols, which themselves constitute non-ionic surfactants. Sulphosuccinates, whose fatty alcohol residues are derived from ethoxylated fatty alcohols having a narrow homolog distribution, are especially preferred. The anionic sulphosuccinate surfactant may be present in the composition in an amount between 1% and 50% by weight of the composition, more preferably between 3% and 40% by weight of the composition.

Detergent compositions for application to the substrates of the present invention may also include one or more non-ionic materials, for example non-ionic surfactants, fatty alcohols, esters, amides, polyols, polypropylene-or polyethylene glycols, waxes and the like. For example, the compositions may contain non-ionic surfactants such as ethoxylated and / or propoxylated primary alcohols, having 10 to 18 carbon atoms and an average of 4 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide (EO and / or 1 to 10 moles of propylene oxide (PO) per mole of alcohol Other examples are alcohol ethoxylates containing linear residues of naturally occurring alcohols, having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, eg coconut alcohols, of palm, tallow fatty alcohols or oleyl alcohol and an average of 4 to 12 moles of EO per mole of alcohol.C14-C15 with 7 EO alcohol-ethoxylates with 7 EO are especially useful as non-ionic surfactants for the present invention. as previous synthesis compounds useful for obtaining the corresponding sulfates and C12-C14 alcohol ethoxylates with 12 EO, which are incorporated in an amount of 1% to 50% and with special preference are used in an amount of 1% to 20% . The Preferred non-ionic surfactants for use in this invention include for example the

Neodol® 45-7, Neodol® 25-9 or Neodol® 25-12 from Shell Chemical Company. Are especially

Preferred are Neodol® 45-7, which is a C14-C15 alcohol ethoxylate with 7 EO and Surfonic® L24-12, supplied by

Huntsman, which is a C12-C14 alcohol-ethoxylate surfactant with 12 EO (or Shell's Neodol® 25-12, which is the material derived from petrochemical sources, which is practically the same in effects). Combinations of more than one alcohol-ethoxylate type surfactant for the detergent composition may also be desirable in order to maximize the cleaning action in the washing machine and minimize the tackiness of the solidified composition on the substrate.

The detergent composition for application to the substrate may also include non-ionic surfactants of the amide type, for example alkanolamides that are condensation products of fatty acids with alkanolamines, for example monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) and monoisopropanolamine (MIPA), which They are being widely used in cosmetic, personal hygiene, household and industrial formulations. Useful alkanolamides include ethanolamides and / or isopropanolamides, for example monoethanolamides, diethanolamides and isopropanolamides, whose fatty acid acyl moiety normally contains from 8 to 18 carbon atoms. These dialkanolamides are normally liquid, while monoalkanolamides are solid, having melting points of 40 ° C to 90 ° C, this is why monoethanolamides are especially preferred in this invention, since they can be fused simultaneously with other detergent ingredients. Especially satisfactory alkanolamides are mono-and diethanolamides, for example those derived from coconut oil mixed fatty acids or special fractions containing, for example, predominantly C12 to C14 fatty acids. For most applications, alkanolamides manufactured from trialkyl glycerides are considered more practical because they have a lower cost, are easier to manufacture and have an acceptable quality. Of particular use in this invention are mono-and diethanolamides derived from coconut oil mixed fatty acids (especially C12 to C14 fatty acids), for example those supplied by the McIntyre Group

Limited under the trade name of Mackamide®. The most preferred to incorporate into the detergent compositions of the present invention is Mackamide® CMA, which is a coconut monoethanolamide supplied by McIntyre. The amide surfactants used in these detergent compositions will preferably be incorporated in an amount of 1 to 50% and especially preferably between 3% and 40%.

Additional non-ionic surfactants that can be used in the compositions of the present invention include alkyl esters of C12-C16 fatty acids sulphonated in alpha position. The sulfonated alkyl esters in the alpha position may be pure alkyl esters or a mixture of (1) an alpha-sulfonated alkyl ester monosal of a fatty acid having 8 to 20 carbon atoms, in which the portion alkyl forming the ester is a straight or branched chain alkyl and has 1-6 carbon atoms and (2) a distal of sulfonated fatty acid in alpha position, the ratio between mono-salt and di-salt will be located by at least in 2: 1. The sulfonated alkyl esters in the alpha position that are useful herein are usually obtained by sulfonation of an alkyl ester of a fatty acid with a sulfonating agent, for example SO3. If manufactured in this way, the sulfonated alkyl esters in the alpha position contain a smaller amount (usually less than 33% by weight) of the di-salt of the sulfonated fatty acid in the alpha position, which is generated by saponification of the ester. Preferred alpha-sulphonated alkyl esters contain less than 10% by weight of the di-salt of the corresponding alpha-sulfonated fatty acid.

The sulfonated alkyl esters in the alpha position, that is, the alkyl sulphonate surfactants, include the linear esters of C6-C22 carboxylic acids, which are sulfonated with gaseous SO3, as described in "The Journal of American Oil Chemists Society ”52, pp. 323-329, 1975. Suitable starting materials preferably include natural fatty substances derived from tallow, palm oil, etc., rather than petroleum-derived materials. Preferred alkyl sulfonate surfactants, especially for a detergent composition of the present invention, contain alkyl sulfonate surfactants of the structural formula R3-CH (SO3M) -CO2R4, wherein R3 is a C8-C20 hydrocarbon of preference origin naturally, R4 is a straight or branched C1-C6 alkyl moiety and M is a cation that forms a water soluble salt with the alkyl sulfate, including sodium, potassium, magnesium and ammonium cations. R3 is preferably a C10-C16 fatty alkyl and R4 is methyl or ethyl. Especially preferred are sulfonated methyl or ethyl esters in the alpha position having a fatty acid distribution having an average of 12 to 16 carbon atoms. For example esters

Alpha-Step® BBS-45, Alpha-Step® MC-48 and Alpha-Step® PC-48 sulfonates in alpha position, all supplied by Stepan Co. of Northfield, IL, can be used in the present invention. Surfactants that are esters of sulfonated fatty acids in alpha position can be used in an amount of 1 to 50%, especially preferably in an amount of 3% to 40% by weight of the detergent composition.

The detergent composition applied to the substrate may also include an alkyl polyglycoside surfactant. The alkyl polyglycosides (APG), also called alkyl polyglycosides if the saccharide moiety is glucose, are naturally occurring non-ionic surfactants. The alkyl polyglycosides that can be used in the present invention are fatty ester derivatives of saccharides or polysaccharides, which are formed when a carbohydrate reacts in acidic medium with a fatty alcohol by a condensation polymerization. APGs are normally derived from corn carbohydrates and fatty alcohols from natural oils, existing in animals, coconut and palm kernel. The methods of deriving APGs are well known in the art, see for example US-5,003,057 and 5,003,057 relating to methods of obtaining APG and the chemical properties of APGs, which are incorporated herein by reference. The alkyl polyglycosides that are preferred for use in the present invention contain a hydrophilic group derived from carbohydrates and are composed of one or more anhydroglucose units. Each of these glucose units can have two oxygen atoms of the ether type and three hydroxyl groups, together with a terminal hydroxyl group, which is the one that brings the water solubility to the glycoside. The presence of the alkyl carbon chain generates the hydrophobic behavior of the molecule.

If the carbohydrate molecules react with compounds that are fatty alcohols, the alkyl polyglycoside molecules formed will have one or multiple anhydroglucose units, which are called monoglycosides and polyglycosides, respectively. The final alkyl polyglycosis product normally has a distribution of varying concentrations of glucose units (or degree of polymerization).

APGs that can be used in the detergent composition preferably contain saccharide or polysaccharide groups (ie, mono-, di-, tri-, etc. saccharides) of hexose or pentose and a fatty aliphatic group having 6 to 20 atoms of carbon. Preferred alkyl polyglycosides that can be used in accordance with the present invention conform to the general formula Gx-O-R1, wherein G is a moiety derived from reducing a saccharide containing 5 or 6 carbon atoms, e.g., pentose or hexose; R1 is a fatty alkyl residue containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms; and x is the degree of polymerization of the polyglycoside, which represents the number of monosaccharide repeating units existing in the polyglycoside. In general, x is an integer based on the individual molecules, but due to the statistical variations of the APG manufacturing process, x can be a non-integer, equivalent to an average, if it refers to the APGs used as ingredients of the detergent composition of the present invention. For the APGs used in the compositions of the present invention, x preferably has a value less than 2.5 and more preferably a value between 1 and 2. Examples of saccharides, from which G can be derived, are the glucose, fructose, mannose, galactose, talose, gulose, alose, altrose, idosa, arabinose, xylose, lyxose and ribose. Due to the rapid availability of glucose, glucose is preferred among polyglycosides. As the fatty alkyl group, saturated, but also unsaturated, fatty chains may be used. In general, polyglycosides that are commercial products have C8 to C16 alkyl chains and an average degree of polymerization between 1.4 and 1.6.

The alkyl polyglycosides that are commercial products are supplied in the form of concentrated aqueous solutions, containing 50 to 70% active substance and can be purchased from Cognis. APGs having an average degree of polymerization between 1.4 and 1.7 are especially preferred for use in the present compositions and the chain lengths of the aliphatic groups are between C8 and C16. For example, a preferred APG for use here has a chain length between C8 and C10 (ratio 45:55) and a polymerization degree of 1.7. The detergent compositions of the present invention have the advantage of having less negative impact on the environment than conventional detergent compositions. The alkyl polyglycosides used in the present invention exhibit low oral and dermal toxicity and low irritation of mammalian tissues. These alkyl polyglycosides are also biodegradable in both anaerobic and aerobic conditions and produce a low toxicity in plants, thereby improving the environmental compatibility of the rinse aid of the present invention. Due to the properties of carbohydrates and excellent water solubility characteristics, alkyl polyglycosides are compatible with very caustic formulations and support materials (builder). The detergent composition preferably includes a sufficient amount of alkyl polyglycoside surfactant to provide the desired level of tissue cleaning. Preferably, the concentrated detergent composition includes between 1% and 50% by weight of alkyl polyglycoside surfactant and more preferably between 3 and 40% of alkyl polyglycoside surfactant.

Additional groups of non-ionic surfactants that can be used in the detergent composition include alkyl esters of alkoxylated fatty acids, preferably ethoxylated or ethoxylated / propoxylated, preferably having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, especially methyl esters of fatty acids. Other suitable surfactants include those known as "gemini surfactants." This term is generally used to indicate those compounds that have two hydrophilic groups and two hydrophobic groups in each molecule. These groups are normally separated from each other by a segment known as a spacer. This spacer is usually a carbon chain, which can be long enough to keep hydrophilic groups at a sufficient distance to allow them to act independently of each other. Surfactants of this type are notable in general for their unusually low critical micellar concentration and for their ability to greatly reduce the surface tension of water. However, in exceptional cases, the term "gemini surfactants" is used to encompass not only dimer surfactants but also trimers. Examples of suitable gemini surfactants are sulfated hydroxy mixed ethers according to German patent application DE-A-43,21,022 or bis bisulfates of dimer alcohols and tris sulfates of trimer alcohols and ether sulfates according to International patent application WO A-96/23768. The mixed dimer and trimer ethers disclosed in accordance with German patent application DE-A-195,13,391 are notable in particular for their bi-and multifunctionality. These capped (blocked) surfactants have good wetting properties and produce low foaming, which makes them especially suitable for use in machine washing and cleaning processes. However, it is also possible to use the polyhydroxigrase gemini acid amides or the polyhydroxy fatty acid polyamides described in international patent applications WO-A-95/19953, WO-A95 / 19954 and WO-A-95/19955. Polyhydroxy fatty acid amides are known materials, which can be obtained, for example, by reductive amination of a reducing sugar with ammonia, an alkylamine or an alkanolamine and subsequent acylation with a fatty acid, a fatty acid alkyl ester or a fatty acid chloride .

Fatty amines and blocked alkoxylated fatty alcohols may also be advantageous in the detergent composition, especially for use in the non-aqueous detergent compositions of the present invention. In alkoxylates of fatty alcohols and alkoxylates of blocked fatty amines, the terminal hydroxyl groups of alkoxylates of fatty alcohols and alkoxylates of fatty amines are etherified with C1-C20 alkyl groups, preferably with methyl or ethyl groups.

The detergent composition applied to the substrate may also include polyether type materials, for example polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol or mixtures of both. One of these polyethers useful for the composition is a polyethylene glycol (or "PEG"). The preferred polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight large enough for the material to be solid at room temperature. Therefore, the preferred molecular weight range is between 950 and 10,000 g / mol. These materials can be easily obtained from the Dow Chemical Company with the

trade name of Carbowax®. The most preferred polyethylene glycol for use in the present invention is PEG

which has a molecular weight between 950 and 4,000. Especially preferred materials are Carbowax® 1450, Carbowax® 3350 and Carbowax® 4000, supplied by Union Carbide, which are PEG-32, PEG75 and PEG-90, respectively. The useful range for the use that allows the incorporation of the PEG into the composition is between 0.1% and 10% by weight and with special preference between 0.5% and 5% by weight.

The additional non-ionic polyether materials that can be used in the detergent composition are polyoxyethylene-cetyl ethers, polyoxyethylene-oleyl ethers, polyoxyethylene-stearyl ethers, polyoxyethylene ethers of lauryl, polyoxyethylene-ethers of isocetyl, polyoxyethylene-ethers of isoxy ethyl esters , polyoxyethylene-octyldodecyl ethers, polyoxyethylene-behenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene-decyltetradecyl ethers, polyoxyethylene-cholesteryl ethers, polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene ethers. Also ester type products, including fatty acid esters, sorbitol fatty acid esters, fatty acid monoglycerides, fatty acid triglycerides, propylene glycol fatty acid esters, ethylene glycol fatty acid esters and the like. The emulsifiers of the ether-ester type can also be used here, including non-ionic materials such as polyethylene glycol monostearates, polyethylene glycol monooleates, polyethylene glycol monolaurate, hydrogenated polyoxyethylene castor oils, polyoxyethylene glyceryl monostearates, polyethylene oxyethylene polyoxyethylene oxyd , polyoxyethylene cetyl ether-stearates, polyoxyethylene stearyl-stearates, polyoxyethylene lauryl-stearates, polyoxyethylene lauryl-isostearates, polyethylene glycol dilaurates, polyethylene glycol distearates, polyethylene glycol diols of polyethylene glycol, polyethylene sorbitol esters of fatty acids and the like. A preferred matrix for the present use is stearyl and polyethylene ether (100), C18H37 (OCH2CH2) nOH, in which n is an average value of 100, which supplies the

Uniqema company with the name of Brij® 700 or the Rhodia company with the name of Rhodasurf® TB-970.

The detergent composition applied to the substrate of the present invention may also include a support substance (builder). These support substances may include, but are not limited to: carbonates, bicarbonates, silicates, borates, zeolites, phosphates, citrates, alkali metal hydroxides and the like. Water conditioning agents may also form part of the present invention and may include, but are not limited to: EDTA, the various mono-, di-, tri-and tetra-sodium salts of EDTA, NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid) and its various alkali metal salts and phosphates, for example sodium tripolyphosphate and the like.

The silicate support material may be a combination of liquid silicate and anhydrous silicate in order to help minimize the amount of water in the detergent composition (to reduce tackiness and improve drying time after application of the molten detergent mass simultaneously ). The composition may contain one or more silicate substances to help preserve whiteness. The preferred silicate is an alkali metal silicate salt (the alkali metal salts of silicic acid), sodium and potassium silicate salts being especially preferred. The alkali metal silicates that are useful can be presented in a variety of ways, which can be described with the general formula M2O: SiO2, in which M means an alkali metal and in which the ratio between the two oxides varies. Especially useful alkali metal silicates will have a weight ratio between SiO2 and M2O between 1.6 and 4. These silicates provide alkalinity to the composition (and the resulting wash liquid of the laundry) and this alkalinity will be in a large excess compared with which it is required to neutralize the small amounts of fatty acids added to the compositions to form the corresponding alkali metal salts (soaps). Preferred silicates include silicate solutions

Sodium supplied by the PQ Corporation, for example the A®1647 Sodium Silicate Solution, a 46.8% active sodium silicate solution having a ratio between SiO2 and Na2O between 1.6 and 1.8: 1. Potassium silicates, for example products, can also be used in the compositions of the present invention.

Kasil® of the PQ Corporation. For example, Kasil® 1 Potassium Silicate Solution which is a 29.1% potassium silicate solution having a proportion between SiO2 and K2O of the order of 2.5 can be used in the present invention. In the compositions of the present invention it is preferable to use sodium silicate or potassium silicate in an amount between 0.5% and 5%. Sodium metasilicate and sodium silicate can also be used, for

example the hydrated sodium silicate Britesil® C24 supplied by the PQ Corporation. It is preferable to incorporate the support substance (builder) in an amount of 0.5% to 25%.

The areas of the detergent composition may also include a water soluble polymer, for example a polycarboxylate. Especially indicated polymeric polycarboxylates are derived from acrylic acids and this polymer and its corresponding neutralized forms include and are usually referred to as polyacrylic acid, homopolymer of 2-propenoic acid or polymer of acrylic acid and sodium polyacrylate, sodium salt of the acid homopolymer 2- Propenoic acid, sodium salt of acrylic acid polymer, poly (sodium acrylate) or sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. In the compositions of the present invention, sodium polyacrylate with an average molecular weight of between 2,000 and 10,000 is preferred, more preferably between 4,000 and 7,000, and more preferably between 4,000 and 5,000. Soluble polymers of this type are known materials, for example sodium polyacrylates and polyacrylic acids from Rohm and Haas supplied under the trade name of

Acusol®. Of particularly preferred use in the present invention is medium molecular weight sodium polyacrylate

4,500 (for example Acusol® 425, Acusol® 430, Acusol® 445 and Acusol® 445ND and mixtures thereof) and the preferred amount for use in the composition is between 0.1% and 1%.

The composition may also include a support substance (builder) of the alkali metal carbonate type, in an amount between 1% and 40%. Especially useful for the present invention is sodium carbonate, however potassium carbonate can also be used. It is well known that sodium carbonate is supplied in several forms, including the anhydrous form but also three hydrated forms. Hydrated forms include monohydrate, heptahydrate and decahydrate. Any of the commercial forms available of sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate can be used in the present invention.

The detergent composition (as well as the softening composition described below) may contain one or more dyes. Dyes are optional ingredients of the compositions of the present invention. The dyes include pigments and other dyes, chosen so that they are compatible with the other ingredients of the detergent composition, compatible with the manufacturing process and not attracted to the fabric. By

For example, a preferred dye for use in the present invention is Liquitint® Green FS (from Milliken), in an amount comprised between 0.001% and 0.1% by weight, percentage referred to the detergent or fabric softener composition. Other dyes are also useful for the compositions of the present invention, for example C.I. Pigment Green No. 7, C.I. Reactive Green No. 12, F D & C Green No. 3, C.I. Acid Blue No. 80, C.I. Acid Yellow No. 17,

Liquitint® Red MX, F D & C Yellow No. 5, Liquitint® Violet LS, Fast Turquise GLL, Liquitint® Blue MC, Liquitint® Blue HP or mixtures thereof.

Optional ingredients that may be included in the detergent substrate composition comprise, but are not limited to: other support substances (builder) (other than silicates and carbonates already mentioned above), other sources of alkalinity or chelators for hard water, such as borates, tetrasodium, trisodium, disodium or monosodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate ("EDTA" and its corresponding salts), phosphates, zeolite, nitrilotriacetic acid ("NTA" and corresponding salts), bleaching agents (based on oxygen or chlorine, by example the

percarbonates, perborates, chloroisocyanurates and the like) optical brighteners (for example CIBA Tinopal® and the like), dye fixatives, enzymes (for example proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases and the like), binders, materials auxiliary support and ingredients and smaller amounts of perfumes, dyes and pigments, solvents, cationic surfactants, additional softening and antistatic agents (in addition to what is already provided in the separate area of textile softener of the substrate), water, thickeners, emulsifiers, acids , bases, salts, polymers, bleaching catalysts, inorganic or organic absorbers,

5 clays, polymers of textile finishing / surface modification, pH control agents, active salts, abrasives, preservatives (to give stability to storage) and antimicrobial agents (for example to sterilize clothes), anti-redeposition and suspension agents dirt (for example "carboxymethyl cellulose" CMC "and other natural or synthetic polymers and the like), opacity-conferring agents, antifoaming agents (silicone materials, for example), cyclodextrin, rheological control agents, vitamins and other skin-beneficial agents , oils, nanoparticles, visible plastic particles and other visible splinters, mica, decorative granules, etc.

Composition of fabric softener / conditioner to apply to the substrate

The fabric softener composition applied to the substrate of the invention may include a cationic surfactant of

15 quaternary ammonium. For reasons of brevity, these cationic materials will be called quaternary surfactants, assuming that they are compounds of quaternary nitrogen (i.e., cationic) and necessarily have an anionic counterion. A large number of quaternary surfactants may be used in this context, but acyclic quaternary surfactants are preferred. For example, useful synthetic quaternary surfactants that are acyclic include linear alkyl quaternary ammonium compounds, branched alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, oxylalkyl, acyloxyalkyl, diamidoamine or diester. Preferred quaternary surfactants for use in the present invention are waxy solids at room temperature, so that the material can be melted and applied hot on the substrate and these surfactants can include traditional tetraalkyl materials, quaternary esters or combinations of the two. types. Cyclic quaternary materials, for example imidazolines, may also be used, but are less preferred in the

25 present invention. The quaternary surfactant according to a preferred embodiment is used in an amount between 40% and 100% by weight of the fabric softening composition, preferably between 50% and 100% and especially preferably in an amount comprised between 90 and 100% by weight of the zone of the substrate softener composition, in the last preferred range there is a margin in the composition for the fragrance and the dyes.

Examples of textile softening components of the acyclic quaternary surfactant type, useful for the present invention, are represented by the general formulas (I) and (II):

In the general formula (I), R and R1 are individually selected from the group consisting of C1-C4 alkyl, benzyl and (C2H4O) xZ, in which x has a value between 1 and 20 and Z is hydrogen or C1 alkyl -C3; R2 and R3 are in each case a C8-C30 alkyl or R2 is C8-C30 alkyl and R3 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C5 alkyl, benzyl and - (C2H4O) xZ, in

which x has a value between 2 and 5; and wherein X-means an anion chosen from the group consisting of halides, methylsulfate, ethyl sulfate, methyl phosphate, acetate, nitrate or phosphate and mixtures thereof. Specific examples of quaternary surfactants described by the general formula (I) include alkyltrimethylammonium compounds, dialkyl dimethylammonium compounds and trialkylmethylammonium compounds, including, but not limited to: tallow trimethylammonium chloride, disebo-dimethylammonium chloride, dihexadecyl dimethylammonium chloride, di (tallow-hydrogenated) -dimethylammonium chloride, dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, dieicosyl45 dimethyl ammonium chloride, didocosyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, di- (hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl sulfate -ammonium, dihexadecyl dimethyl-ammonium acetate, disebo-dipropyl-ammonium phosphate, disebo-dimethyl-ammonium nitrate, di- (cocoalkyl) -dimethyl-ammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, stearyltrimethylammonium chloride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride , lauryl dimethyl ammonium chloride and tricethylmethylammonium chloride, together with other quaternary compounds, for example trihydroxyethylmethylamine methosulfate onium, lauryl dimethylbenzylammonium chloride and the like.

Many of these materials are commercial products of the Varisoft® brand supplied by Degussa.

Quaternary surfactants of the formula (II) are also known as ester quats. The ester-quats are distinguished by their excellent biodegradability. In formula (II), R4 means an aliphatic alkyl moiety of 12 to 22 carbon atoms, having 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds; R5 means H, OH or O- (CO) R7, R6 means H, OH or O (CO) R8 regardless of R5; R7 and R8 are in each case independently an aliphatic alkyl moiety of 12 to 22 carbon atoms, which has 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds; m, n and p are independent of each other are the number 1, 2 or 3. X-can be a halide, methylsulfate, ethyl sulfate, methyl phosphate, nitrate, acetate or phosphate ion and also mixtures thereof. Useful compounds are those, in which R5 is O- (CO) R7 and R4 and R7 are alkyl moieties having 16 to 18 carbon atoms, especially those compounds, in which R6 also means OH. Examples of compounds of the formula (II) are methyl-N- (2-hydroxyethyl) -N, N-di- (tallow-acyloxyethyl) ammonium methyl sulfate, bis- (palmitoyl) -ethylhydroxyethyl-methyl-ammonium methyl sulfate or methyl-N, N-bis (acyloxyethyl) -N- (2-hydroxyethyl) -ammonium methylsulfate. In the quaternary surfactants of the formula (II), which contain unsaturated alkyl chains, 5 acyl groups are preferred, whose fatty acids have an iodine number between 5 and 80, preferably between 10 and 60 and especially between 15 and 45 and also a ratio between cis / trans isomers (in% by weight) greater than 30:70, preferably greater than 50:50 and especially greater than 70:30. Examples of commercial products are the

Methylhydroxyalkyl alkylcoyloxyalkylammonium methylsulfates supplied by Stepan under the Stepantex® brand or Cognis products supplied with the Dehyquart® brand or Degussa products supplied with the 10 Adogen® and Rewoquat® brands. Especially preferred is Adogen 66 from Degussa-Goldschmidt, which is ethylbis- (hydroxyethyl) -sebo-ethoxylated alkyl ethyl sulfate. Other ester-quats that can be used in the present invention have the formulas: [(CH3) 2N + (CH2CH2OC (O) -R) 2] Xo [(HOCH2CH2) (CH3) N + (CH2CH2OC (O) -R) 2] X -, in which R is a linear, saturated or unsaturated alkyl moiety of 11 to 19 carbon atoms and preferably 13 to 17. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the fatty acid residues are tallow fatty acid residues . X15 means a halide, for example chloride or bromide, methyl phosphate, ethyl phosphate, methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, acetate, nitrate, phosphate and also mixtures thereof.

Other useful textile softening agents of acyclic quaternary ammonium include diester-quats of the formula (III), which are supplied under the names of Rewoquat® W 222 LM or CR 3099 and provide stability and color protection as well as smoothness:

in which R21 and R22 independently of each other mean an aliphatic residue of 12 to 22 carbon atoms, which has 25 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds.

It is also possible to use quaternary amidoamine surfactants of the formula (IV)

30 in which R17 can be an aliphatic alkyl moiety of 12 to 22 carbon atoms having 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds, s can take values between 0 and 5, R18 and R19 are independently of each other in each case H, alkyl

or C1-4 hydroxyalkyl. Preferred compounds are fatty acid amidoamines, for example the stearylamidopropyldimethylamine which is supplied under the name of Tego Amid® S18 or the 335-seboamidopropyl-trimethylammonium methyl sulfate which is supplied under the name of Stepantex® X 9124, which are characterized not only by a good conditioning effect, but also for a color transfer inhibitory effect and in particular for its good biodegradability. Especially preferred are alkylated quaternary ammonium compounds, in which at least one alkyl chain is interrupted with an ester group and / or an amido group, in particular N-methyl-N- (2-hydroxyethyl) -N methyl sulfate , N-diseboacyloxyethyl) ammonium and / or N-methyl-N- (2-hydroxyethyl) 40 N, N- (palmitoyloxyethyl) ammonium methylsulfate. In the preferred embodiments, the solid textile conditioner zone of the substrate contains as quaternary surfactants the Rewoquat® WE-18-E-US (proprietary ester-quat of Degussa), Incrosoft® T-90 of Croda, Stepantex® VA- 90 or Stepantex® HTS-100 of Stepan or mixtures thereof, which will preferably be present in an amount comprised between 40% and 100% by weight, percentage referred to the entire composition. The especially preferred composition of the fabric softener area of the substrate

45 contains 90 to 100% Stepantex® HTS-100 and / or Varisoft® DS-150 and / or Adogen® 66, together with 0.1-10% fragrance and an effective amount of a dye, of so that the solidified area has color for aesthetic purposes and also a fragrance that is capable of transferring to the tissues during the drying cycle.

For the acceptance of consumers, recognition and repurchase of the product and, what is more

Importantly, to impart substantial fragrance to the fabrics within the dryer, a fragrance is preferably added to the area of the fabric softener composition of the present invention. Depending on the intensity of the fragrance and the character of the perfume notes, the amount of fragrance transferred will be between 0.1% and 10% by weight, percentage referred to the fabric softening composition. Some examples of fragrances include, but are not limited to: UN063503 / 00, UN063507 / 00, UN063506 / 00, UN063511 / 00, UN063505 / 00 and UN063513 / 00 by Givaudan Fragrances and the Fressia-497 and Mountain Breeze fragrances (from International Flavors and Fragrances company). Any fragrance material, whether synthetic, whether derived from a natural product or a

The combination of both may be useful for both the detergent zone and the softener zone of the laundry article of the present invention.

In addition to the active ingredients, required to confer an antistatic and softening effect (the quaternary material described previously) and fabric fragrance, the softener zone may also include silicone and aminosilicone compounds, betaines, starches, cationic and amphoteric polymers, additives anti-wrinkles, clays (for example bentonite), cationic silica, fusible matrix materials, for example waxes and soaps (preferably fatty alcohols, polyethylene glycols, sorbite esters, silicone waxes, polyethylene wax, binders, support materials, pigments and dyes , optical brighteners, solvents, opacity-conferring agents, vitamins and other beneficial agents, oils, nanoparticles, visible plastic particles, visible splinters and other decorative materials included within the softener matrix, etc. and the like, for example, alcohols. fatty acids that emulsify waxes, for example alco C10-C18 holes to the molten quaternary material to form a molten softener composition, which can be applied to the substrate. If fatty alcohols are needed, then a preferred fatty alcohol is "cetearyl" alcohol (a mixture of cetyl and stearyl alcohols), for example

Lanette® products supplied by Cognis and these materials simply merge simultaneously with the

20 quaternary before application to the substrate. The softener compositions are mostly insoluble during typical wash cycles, cold or hot. The softener area of the substrate has a low contact angle, if it gets wet with water and has no tendency to absorb water under the conditions of a wet storage. The areas of the fabric softener composition do not show stickiness and do not stick to the consumer's hands after storage in wet conditions. As previously mentioned, when

25 uses a preferred non-woven material as a substrate, the area of the fabric softener may be entirely quaternary, with smaller amounts of dyes and perfumes. That is, a matrix material and fatty alcohol release is not necessary, as described in the prior art.

Articles of the present invention and production methods

The specific, but not limiting, embodiments of the laundry article of the present invention are set out in the following tables 1-3. Table 1 shows combinations of the detergent ingredients described previously to produce suitable detergent compositions to be applied to the substrate. Compositions 1-10 listed in Table 1 are "theoretical amounts" in percent by weight (% in p.), It is

In other words, the compositions are calculated to reflect the contents of the batch after mixing, the% being in p. of water the sum of all the water contributed by the individual raw materials that are supplied in the form of products that have less than 100% active ingredient. However, composition 1 represents the theoretical amounts of ingredients of a conventional laundry detergent after drying on the substrate, since this composition begins in the form of ordinary liquid (hence, the indication "drying", which means 0%

40 of the substrate). The other compositions 2-10 are all hot mixtures, melted simultaneously, and the theoretical quantities collected are also the quantities existing on the substrate, since any water of the composition tends to remain within the waxy zone. Table 2 shows combinations of the ingredients described previously to produce compositions 11-17 of fabric softener / conditioner / antistatic agent to be applied to the substrates. As in the previous table, table 2 shows the percentages

45 theoretical or active ingredients (% in p.). Finally, in table 3 combinations of the compositions of tables 1 and 2 are collected in various substrate materials and with various weights incorporated to produce the laundry articles of the present invention. Table 4 shows and various performance or efficiency attributes are represented in Figures 25-27, for example the preservation of whiteness (cleaning effect), the amount of textile softener provided from the substrate to the clothes in the dryer, et cetera, which are explained below with

50 more detail.

Table 1: Examples of detergent compositions for applying to a substrate

ingredients

weight percentage (% active ingredient)

one

2 3 4 5

sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate

13.56 17,30 15.60 17.70 16.70

(C14-C15 / 7EO alkyl) sodium ether sulfate

28.02 - - - -

sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)

- - - - -

C14-C18 fatty acid sodium salt

- - - - -

C14-C15 / 7EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

18.08 5.40 14.60 5.50 5.20

C12-C15 / 9EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - - - -

C12-C14 / 12EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - - - -

coconut monoethanolamide

- - - - -

PEG-75 polyethylene glycol

- 1.40 1.30 1.40 1.40

polyethylene glycol stearyl ether (100)

- 15.60 14.10 15.90 15.10

sodium silicate SiO2 / Na2O in proportion: 1.6-1.8

- 16.60 15.00 17.00 16.00

sodium silicate (Britesil® C24)

- - - - -

sodium carbonate

35.26 6.50 5.90 6.70 6.30

sodium tetraborate decahydrate

- 11.90 10.80 12.20 11.50

sodium polyacrylate PM = 4,500

2.26 1.80 1.70 - 5.20

EDTA tetrasodium salt

0.72 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.10

optical bleach (Tinopal®)

0.54 0.10 0.09 0.10 0.10

quaternary surfactant (softener)

- - - - -

dyes and fragrances

1.56 0.90 0.81 1.01 0.91

Water

(dried) 22.10 19.90 22.40 21.50

Table 1: Examples of detergent compositions (continued)

ingredients

weight percentage (% active ingredient)

6

7 8 9 10

sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate

25.44 30.80 20.70 24.18 26.09

(C14-C15 / 7EO alkyl) sodium ether sulfate

- - 19.00 12.79 13.80

sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)

3.14 - 2.70 - -

C14-C18 fatty acid sodium salt

- - - - -

C14-C15 / 7EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

7.88 8.50 6.50 12.45 13.44

C12-C15 / 9EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - - - -

C12-C14 / 12EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - - - -

coconut monoethanolamide

- - - - -

PEG-75 polyethylene glycol

2.07 2.20 1.70 1.85 2.00

polyethylene glycol stearyl ether (100)

23.25 24.60 18.70 20.38 21.99

sodium silicate SiO2 / Na2O in proportion: 1.6-1.8

7.78 8.40 6.40 9.93 3.72

sodium silicate (Britesil® C24)

2.70 3.60 2.70 - 7.00

sodium carbonate

- - - - -

sodium tetraborate decahydrate

- - - - -

sodium polyacrylate PM = 4,500

1.80 - - - -

EDTA tetrasodium salt

0.17 - - - -

optical bleach (Tinopal®)

0.10 0.20 0.10 0.13 0.15

quaternary surfactant (softener)

- - - - -

dyes and fragrances

1.54 1.41 1.11 0.84 0.90

Water

24.12 20.40 20.50 17.44 10.92

Table 1: Examples of detergent compositions (continued)

ingredients

weight percentage (% active ingredient)

1A

2A 3A

sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate

43.60 6.95 29.05

(C14-C15 / 7EO alkyl) sodium ether sulfate

- - -

sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS)

- 9.87 -

C14-C18 fatty acid sodium salt

- - -

C14-C15 / 7EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - 7.37

C12-C15 / 9EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- - -

C12-C14 / 12EO linear alcohol ethoxylate

- 33.64 -

coconut monoethanolamide

- 17.11 -

PEG-75 polyethylene glycol

- - 2.17

polyethylene glycol stearyl ether (100)

- - 29.05

sodium silicate SiO2 / Na2O in proportion: 1.6-1.8

11.28 - -

sodium silicate (Britesil® C24)

- - -

sodium carbonate

27.00 10.16 9.97

sodium tetraborate decahydrate

- 18.28 18.21

sodium polyacrylate PM = 4,500

4.60 0.95 2.43

EDTA tetrasodium salt

- - 0.43

optical bleach (Tinopal®)

0.30 0.15 0.17

quaternary surfactant (softener)

- 1.83 -

dyes and fragrances

0.50 1.06 1.13

Water

12.72 zero 5.2

Table 2: Examples of softener compositions to apply to the substrate

ingredients

weight percentage (% active ingredient)

eleven

12 13 14 fifteen

Quaternary (Adogen® 66)

60.00 10.00 - - -

Quaternary (Stepantex® HTS-100)

- - 95.00 75.00 47.50

Quaternary (Varisoft® DS-150)

- - - - -

cetearyl alcohol (Lanette® O)

40.00 90.00 - 25.00 47.50

fragrance oil

- - 5.00 - 5.00

dyes

qty suf. qty suf. qty suf. qty suf. qty suf.

Table 2: Examples of softening compositions (continued)

ingredients

weight percentage (% active ingredient)

16

17

Quaternary (Adogen® 66)

- -

Quaternary (Stepantex® HTS-100)

- -

Quaternary (Varisoft® DS-150)

50.00 95.24

cetearyl alcohol (Lanette® O)

50.00 -

fragrance oil

- 4.76

dyes

qty suf. qty suf.

Table 3: Examples of laundry items

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

TO

B C D AND

detergent composition

(1) 12 g (1) 12 g (1) 12 g (1) 12 g (1) 12 g

textile softening composition

- - (11) 3.3 g (12) 20 g (13) 2 g

non woven **

S1 S2 T1 T1 T1

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

F

G H I J

detergent composition

(1) 12 g (1) 12 g (2) 8 g (2) 8 g (9) 12 g

textile softening composition

(14) 2.7 g (15) 4 g (16) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g

non woven **

T1 T1 H1 H1 A1

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

K

L M N OR

detergent composition

(9) 12 g (9) 12 g (9) 12 g (9) 12 g (9) 12 g

textile softening composition

(17) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g (17) 1.5 g

non woven **

A2 A3 H2 H1 H3

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

P

Q R S T

detergent composition

(9) 12 g (1) 10 g (2) 10 g (3) 10 g (4) 10 g

textile softening composition

(17) 1.5 g - - - -

non woven **

H4 H1 H1 H1 H1

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

OR

V W X Y

detergent composition

(5) 10 g (6) 10 g (7) 10 g (8) 10 g (9) 10 g

textile softening composition

- - - - -

non woven **

H1 H1 H1 H1 H1

ingredients

weight (g) of indicated composition incorporated into the concrete substrate

Z

AA AB AC AD

detergent composition

(10) 10 g (4) 8 g (4) 8 g (4) 12 g (4) 12 g

textile softening composition

- - (17) 1.5 g - (17) 1.5 g

non woven **

H1 H1 H1 H1 H1

* The first number in brackets indicates the number of the composition of tables 1 and 1; the second number

5 indicates the amount charged (g). Note that items manufactured using detergent composition 1 are dry weights (i.e. 12 g after drying or removing the water content)

** The non-woven materials are the following: S1: Sandler Sawaloom® 2611, 100% viscose; S2: Sawaloom® 2621 by Sandler, 100% PET; S3: Sandler's Sawaloom® 6000, viscose / PET / PP; S4: Sawaloom® 6351 from 10 Sandler, viscose / PET / PP; S5: Sawaloom® 6600 by Sandler, viscose / PET / PP; S6: Sawaloom® 6700 from Sandler, CV / PET / PP; T1: Texel® 04531, viscose / polyester; T2: Texel® 04531, viscose / polyester; H1: HDK 401; H2: HDK 330; H1: HDK No. 4; H1: HDK No. 5; H1: HDK No. 2; A1: Ahlstrom 11B04.3110; A2: Ahlstrom VPM7.1; A3: Ahlstrom Needlepunch (punching).

15 Table 4: Attributes of provision or effectiveness of various laundry items

laundry item (from table 3)

performance or effectiveness attributes

whiteness preservation

electrostatic charge reduction dryer softener (%) observations / comments

TO

- - - poor / lacks mechanical strength to survive washing / drying

B

- - - poor / insufficient absorption of the compositions

C

- 1.11 - poor / long drying times, sticky touch

D

- 0.38 - poor / long drying times, sticky touch

AND

- 2.61 - poor / long drying times, sticky touch

F

- 0.36 - poor / long drying times, sticky touch

G

- 0.20 - poor / long drying times, sticky touch

H

- 0.17 - good

I

- 0.12 - good

J

- - 41.35 considerable

K

- - 10.03 considerable

L

- - 47.36 considerable

M

- - 71.38 -

N

- - 75.88 -

OR

- - 86.25 superior delivery of textile softener from the substrate

P

- - 77.61 -

Q

98.40 - - conventional liquid detergent (1) dried on the substrate; standard whiteness test material

R

75.20 - - insufficient whiteness conservation

S

78.11 - - insufficient whiteness conservation

T

86.48 - - reasonable whiteness conservation

OR

70.92 - - insufficient whiteness conservation

V

83.50 - - reasonable whiteness conservation

W

98.90 - - conservation of whiteness superior to

standard

X

95.10 - - whiteness conservation close to standard

Y

98.70 - - whiteness preservation higher than standard

Z

98.80 - - whiteness preservation higher than standard

AA

86.60 - - reasonable whiteness conservation

AB

89.88 - - reasonable whiteness conservation

AC

92.65 - - whiteness conservation close to standard

AD

93.34 - - whiteness conservation close to standard

Methods for producing the compositions and laundry items in Tables 1-3

5 For the softener compositions 11-15 of Table 2, the Stepantex HTS100 quaternary surfactant and optionally the cetearyl alcohol are heated until melted (around 65 ° C) and then mixed with the optional perfume until a uniform mixture is achieved. The hot melt mixture can be applied to several non-woven sheets with the weights indicated in Table 3. Mixtures of several preferred quaternaries can be melted simultaneously, if necessary.

10 Example of molten detergent simultaneously: 275 grams of Brij 700 (stearyl-polyoxyethylene-100 ether, Uniqema) and 25 grams of Carbowax 3350 (Union Carbide) are mixed in a large flask and heated to 85 ° C to melt the solids. 85 g of Neodol 45-7 (ethoxylate 7 EO of primary alcohol C14-C15, Shell Chemicals) and 335 g of Calsoft F-90 ((linear alkyl) sodium benzenesulfonate, Pilot Chemical Company) are added to the hot mixture and added

15 mix thoroughly. 210 g of borax decahydrate, 115 g of anhydrous sodium carbonate, 2 g of Tinopal CBS-X (Ciba), 28 g of Acusol 430 (polyacrylate, Rohm and Haas), 4 g of Liquitint blue HP (1% solution are added , Milliken), 5 g of tetrasodium EDTA and 9 g of perfume (Mt Breeze, IFF). The detergent ingredients are thoroughly mixed at 85 ° C. Optionally, the viscosity can be adjusted by adding a maximum of 6% by weight of water. Normally the nonwoven is coated with 1-100 g of any one of the molten detergent compositions, allowing

20 solidify at rest.

Additional example of molten detergent simultaneously, for example 2A in Table 1: 234 grams of Mackamide CMA (cocamide MEA, McIntyre Group LTD.) Are introduced into a large flask and heated to 85 ° C with stirring to melt the solid. 460 g of Surfonic L24-12 (ethoxylated C12-C14 alcohol with 12 EO from 25 Huntsman Corporation) are added and thoroughly mixed. Slowly add 95 g of Calsoft F-90 ((linear alkyl) sodium benzenesulfonate, Pilot Chemical Company). Finally, 250 g of borax decahydrate, 139 g of anhydrous sodium carbonate, 135 g of sodium dodecyl sulfate, 2 g of Tinopal CBS-X (Ciba), 13 g of Acusol 445 ND (polyacrylate, Rohm and Haas), 4.5 g are added of Liquitint blue HP (1% solution, Milliken), 25 g of Varisoft DS 150 (di (hydrogenated tallow) dimethylammonium methylsulfate, Degussa-Goldschmidt) and 10 g of perfume (Mt Breeze, IFF) and se

30 mix thoroughly at 85 ° C. The nonwoven is coated with 1-100 g of any one of the resulting molten mixture, allowing it to solidify at rest.

Example of industrial process description

35 The formulas of the detergent and fabric softener strips are mixed at elevated temperatures (120ºF -190ºF) using standard mixing tanks, with stirring. The order of addition may vary depending on the mixing and heating capacity of the system. A process of applying the detergent strip on the substrate uses a type of application called Gravure / Kiss, in which the nonwoven is passed through a rotating cylinder, which has been previously coated with a detergent mixture by zones. The cylinder is partially submerged in

40 a trough of the detergent mixture and rotate to coat itself and then transfer the loaded detergent to the nonwoven. A detergent weight of 5-20 grams can be achieved on a non-woven surface of 5 inches by 6 inches, when the process parameters are: line feed speed: 5-30 feet / second; cylinder speed: 5-30 rpm; trough temperature: 120ºF -190ºF; cylinder temperature: 120ºF -190ºF. The detergent strip can also be coated using a slot nozzle system, which delivers quantities

45 accurately calibrated detergent on the nonwoven surface.

The process to apply the softener strip on the nonwoven can be as simple as a gravity feed, with a valve, from a tank, through a slot or hole of an appropriate size. The weights, in this case, are controlled by the speed of the line, the temperature of the mixture and the position of the

50 calibration valve. A more precise method of application is to use a slotted nozzle system that delivers a precisely calibrated amount of the fabric softener strip mixture over the nonwoven as it passes in front of the slotted nozzle.

Test methods

The whiteness preservation tests are performed in accordance with US-2006/0183656 "Enhanced Whiteness", which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Reduction of electrostatic charges: in a standard mid-size US washing machine. a load of textile material (5 pounds of polyester / cotton pillowcases), water hardness: 150 ppm is subjected to a normal wash cycle. The detergent and the samples of cotton fabric undergo the normal wash cycle. The tissues are then introduced into a standard US dryer. and the tissues are dried in the "high" temperature position of the selector for a predetermined time. At the end of the drying cycle, tissue samples are taken one by one and placed in an electrostatic charge meter. The measurement reading is recorded and averaged. In another test, a negative tissue control without additives is washed and dried in the washer or dryer. The results obtained with the negative control are normalized to 1 and this factor is used to normalize the other test readings. Non-woven processability: the detergent is applied to several nonwovens and its processability is determined for the amount of time required for the detergent to dry and solidify on the substrate. After solidification and total cooling, the tack is determined by touching the areas where the detergent is housed. Percentage of fabric softener released in the dryer: during the manufacture of the laundry item the exact weight of fabric softener that is applied to the item is measured. Once the washing cycle is finished, the laundry article is weighed again to determine the amount of textile softener that has been lost in the washing machine. After the drying cycle, the laundry article is weighed to determine the amount of fabric softener that has been distributed from the article inside the dryer. It has been shown that the percentage of fabric softener delivered in the dryer corresponds directly to the reduction of electrostatic charges expected from said laundry item.

For evaluation purposes under US wash conditions. Kenmore Elite washers and dryers are used. The following conditions apply: medium load, hot wash (100ºF), cold rinse, maximum agitation, 14 minute wash cycle, 1 rinse. Water of a hardness of 150 ppm is added. Let it fill with water. The prototype detergent sheet is placed in water and kept under stirring for 30 seconds. About 5.5 pounds of textile material (approximately 50 polyester / cotton wipes or other appropriate textile material) are added. Once the washing machine has finished the washing cycle, the load, including the prototype sheet, is transferred to the dryer machine. The fragrance of the wet textile material is evaluated. The evaluation of washing efficiency is usually based on a set of standard soils. This set of soils includes oil / grease stains, highly colored food stains, protein based stains, starch based stains and stains produced by particles divided into particles, which are representative of the types of stains that are they find more frequently among consumers. There are numerous manufacturers of test stains to evaluate the effectiveness of the detergent, for example: Empirical Manufacturing Corporation, EMPA and Test Fabrics. These manufacturers produce not only individual stains for testing, but also textile cuts that carry up to 18 stains incorporated. EMPA 102 is a representative textile material soiled with multiple stains, which contains 17 stains, which cover the previously mentioned range of stains. Normally, the determination of the cleaning power requires repeated washing tests to obtain statistically significant differences in cleaning. It is usual to perform 3 to 10 repeated tests to obtain significant results, due to the level of variability inherent in the methods and materials. The evaluation of the removal of an individual stain is carried out by the color change of the spots, which is determined with a colorimeter. The inside of the dryer is rubbed with towel cloth impregnated with isopropanol. Let it dry. The dryer is put into operation for 60 minutes at high temperature (select: high / cotton). A laboratory timer is used to determine the drying cycle time and for the dryer after 50 minutes. This is done to ensure that the dryer does not cool in the final phase of the cycle. The fragrance is evaluated using a group of experts composed of 10 specialized people. The evaluation is performed on a scale of 1 (no effect) to 5 (very intense effect).

The retention of the fabric softener during its passage through the washer and its effective delivery in the dryer are plotted for a large number of substrates, whether open, bent, in various configurations of Figures 25-27. Figure 25 shows the result of using a flat / inclined substrate, for example HDK 401 of the company HDK Industries, Inc., against a “only inclined” substrate (Lofty Only), for example HDK No. 2 of HDK Industries, Inc. and a needle-punched nonwoven, for example the Ahlstrom Needlepunch. These three different substrates have considerably different efficiencies with the same textile softener composition 13 (table 2): As demonstrated by the results of Figure 25, a sidedness nonwoven (i.e., a flat face and a inclined face and non-uniform cross section) effectively outperforms a similar nonwoven having both sloped sides (uniform cross section) and a punching substrate (needlepunch), which is already known to have been used in many prior art articles. The non-woven non-uniform cross section allows a loss of fabric softener only 10% in the washer and an impressive 75% delivery from the non-woven in the dryer. Similarly, as demonstrated by the results of Figure 26, a nonwoven with laterality (i.e., a flat side and an inclined side and a non-uniform cross section) exceeds in results the similar nonwovens that both have flat sides, for example the Ahlstrom 11B04.3110, which has a uniform cross-section and traditional carded fabrics, for example the Ahlstrom VPM7.1. Nonwoven that has a non-uniform cross section loses only 10% of fabric softener in the washer and delivers an impressive 75% of fabric softener in the dryer. The capacity of the substrate arranged in layers preferred to achieve a high retention of textile softener in the washing machine and a correspondingly high delivery in the dryer is due to the laterality. It is clear that the inclined side helps retain the fabric softener in the washing machine and the flat side allows the fabric softener to be delivered to the dryer. Figure 27 shows that the delivery of the fabric softener from the substrate preferably takes place from the flat side, formed by finer denier fibers. As indicated in Figure 27, if the substrate is folded on itself and stacked tightly, then there is a marked difference in the amount of fabric softener retained during washing and the amount of fabric softener delivered in the dryer, depending on whether the flat side is left open outward or closed inside. The data indicates that the softener is preferably distributed across the flat side of the non-woven non-uniform cross-section, since if the article is folded and stacked with the flat coated sides closed inside, the fabric softener remains trapped inside the folded item. However, if the coated inclined side bends inwards and the flat side is left open to the outside, the fabric softener migrates outward with a wick-like movement through the folded article. Without assuming any theory, it is believed that the fabric softener melts and / or partially volatilizes through the finest fibers and salts to the outside, due to a "wick" or hair-like action along a gradient of fiber diameters and densities. Therefore, Figure 27 shows that the preferred substrate is a non-woven non-uniform cross-section, having a flat side and an inclined side (lofted) and this result was unpredictable and hitherto totally unknown.

Laundry articles have been described not only for washing but also for textile conditioning, which have at least two areas of composition that deliver significant amounts of fragrance and textile conditioning benefits to the fabrics in the dryer after being retained. in the substrate as it passes through the washing machine. It has also been shown that the articles of the present invention have good cleaning action and have been optimized to provide a whiteness preservation similar to liquid laundry detergents. The articles have been optimized with the incorporation of a non-woven substrate of non-uniform cross-section, in particular a non-woven layer disposed that has at least two types of fibers and has a more compact flat side and a less compact inclined side. Methods of manufacturing such articles have also been described, which include, but are not limited to: the application of hot melts of both detergent composition and textile softening composition. A method for cleaning and conditioning fabrics has been described which consists in using the article of the present invention in the washing machine and then in introducing the wet clothes into the dryer, where the textile conditioning composition is released from the substrate and penetrates into the Tissues inside the dryer. Finally, compositions for molten and molded laundry detergents have been described, which are molded in ways of use in processes similar to those of the candy industry and poured molten through a box with hot weir-box on chilled conveyor belts to produce lentils (pellets) or waxy-looking laundry detergent tablets, which can be packaged in bulk and marketed as substitutes for laundry detergents.

Claims (15)

1. A laundry item, consisting of:

to.

a non-woven water insoluble substrate having a non-uniform cross section;

b.

a solidified detergent composition on the substrate at least in one area and

C.

a solidified textile conditioner composition on the substrate at least in one area.

2.

The article of claim 1, wherein the nonwoven substrate consists of fibers chosen from the group consisting of polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly (ethylene terephthalate), poly (butylene terephthalate), polyamide (Nylon), rayon and acrylic fibers and mixtures thereof.

3.

The article of claim 2, wherein said fibers include at least two separate fiber average diameters, said average diameters are chosen within the range between 1.5 and 15 denier.

Four.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said substrate comprises at least two laminated layers of fiber fabrics.

5.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said substrate includes a flat side, formed primarily by smaller denier fibers and more compactly bonded and an inclined (lofted) side, formed primarily by fibers of greater denier and less compactly joined.

6.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said substrate is made up of at least two average fiber diameters, carded in at least two fabrics, which are laminated together and processed thermally or with powder / thermally to create a flat side, formed primarily by smaller denier fibers and more compactly bonded and an inclined (lofted) side, formed primarily by larger denier fibers and less compactly bonded.

7.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said detergent composition includes one or more ingredients chosen from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, builder materials, fatty alcohols, polypropylene-or polyethylene glycols , waxes, pigments and dyes, perfumes, softening agents, chelators, soil suspending agents, anti-redeposition agents, bleaching agents, enzymes and mixtures thereof.

8.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said textile conditioner composition includes a cationic quaternary ammonium surfactant.

9.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said textile conditioner composition further includes ingredients chosen from the group consisting of pigments and dyes, fragrance, starches, wrinkle additives, fusible matrix materials, silicone compounds and mixtures thereof.

10.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further containing a perforation along the length or width of the article, such that the perforation is located between said areas of the detergent and textile conditioner compositions and separates at least one zone from the remaining zones.

eleven.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further containing a perforation along the length or width of the article, such that said perforation runs at least through one of said areas of the detergent compositions or of textile conditioner.

12.

The article according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further containing an additional textile treatment composition applied to at least one additional area of said substrate.

13.

Use of a laundry article according to any one of claims 1 to 12 to clean and condition fabrics.

14.

A method of producing the laundry article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, consisting of the following steps:

to.

melt a detergent composition;

b.

melt a fabric softener composition;

C.

provide a length of non-woven substrate, having a non-uniform cross section and

d.

coating said substrate not only with the molten detergent composition but also with the molten textile softener composition at least in one area each and allowing the detergent composition and the resulting fabric softener composition to cool and solidify on the substrate.

15. A method for washing and conditioning fabrics, consisting of the following steps:

to.

providing the laundry article according to any one of claims 1 to 12;

b.

wash a load of fabrics in a washing machine with said article;

C.

removing the washed fabrics from said washing machine together with said article;

d.

insert the fabrics into the dryer together with said article and

and.

Drying said tissues in the dryer together with said article.